


Something about that Scamander

by Emptynarration



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Newt Scamander, Gen, M/M, Newt has a big secret, Obscurial Credence Barebone, Obscurial Newt Scamander, Obscurus (Harry Potter), Slow Build, Slow Burn, That isn't his creatures, The OCs are all minor characters that aren't extremely important, The ship will take its sweet ass time so be patient
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-09-18 05:38:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16989057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emptynarration/pseuds/Emptynarration
Summary: While waiting for his transport from New York, Grindelwald had a lot of time on his hands to think.One of the things he thought about, was that Scamander, and his creatures. How useful would it be to have him on his side, to use his creatures to achieve his goal.All he needed was to get him to join his side. And what better way than to use his friend joining him, and the reasons for it, to get him to?What Grindelwald doesn't know, is that there is more to Newt than meets the eye.Something that shakes up his entire plans.





	1. Join the right side.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald convinces Newt to join his side.

Grindelwald saw the potential in Newt. After his capture in New York, Grindelwald had quite some time to think. Grindelwald knew about Newt's case, had seen its inside first-hand. And he knew, many of those beasts the magizoologist was keeping were illegal. That he was breeding them, another crime against the laws the Ministry of Magic decided on. But he also knew that Newt would do _anything_ for those creatures. That he wanted them to be free, live without worrying about being hunted by both wizards and no-majs.

Surrounded by blue fire, Credence joined him in his circle. Newt had tried to get to him, calling out for him, a wave of fire pushing him back and making him fall to his back. Only able to watch what was happening.  
He heard Jacob and Queenie, his gaze quickly shifting over to them. Eyes wide as he watched Queenie let go of Jacob's hand, and swiftly turn to Grindelwald. Stepping down to the circle of fire, stepping into it, screaming without noise. Before she was through, taking Grindelwald's hand. She didn't look back even once before she apparated, leaving Jacob behind, who could only stare in shock and betrayal.

Newt knew why she went. Why Credence went. And still, he couldn't move from where he was on the steps, barely able to sit up. He knew his brother was somewhere here, nearby, probably going to try and get to him.

“Mister Scamander.”, Grindelwald turned towards Newt, a small, knowing smile adorning his face for a brief moment, as Newt's breath got caught in his throat.  
“You know why Credence left, do you not?”, he spoke. A rhetorical question. Of course Newt knew. Credence wanted desperately to know who he was, what he was.  
“And your friend's dear sister. In love with a no-maj.”, he hummed, and Newt bit his lip. He knew. Queenie believed joining Grindelwald would bring what she wished for: being able to marry Jacob.

And Newt, he knew the reasonings behind Grindelwald's words wasn't entirely bad. Look what the world had done to Credence. Forcing children to be terrified of their own magic, suppressing it, until the Obscurus grew inside of Credence. A terrible, unstoppable force, wrecking chaos.  
And he knew that the laws were unfair. That Jacob needed to be obliviated, even though there was no harm in him knowing about magic. That Queenie and Jacob weren't allowed to know another, yet alone marry each other. That marrying a no-maj was against the law.

And Grindelwald knew Newt saw his reasoning as not as bad as made out to be. Newt was simply against violence, against the murder of innocent humans -no-majs and wizards alike. Just like how he was against the hurting of innocent creatures.

“Don't you think it is unfair?”, Grindelwald spoke, stepping just a bit closer to the fire, towards Newt, who only sat, and listened. Heart pounding in his chest, fear gripping him.  
“How your poor beasts are hunted. How many have gone extinct because of it? Because of humans killing them. Just because they don't understand.”.  
Newt was breathing heavily. _Far too many_ , he thinks to himself. Far too many creatures had gone extinct. Because no one _understands_ , no one _cares_ to understand. That all these creatures -every single one he carried with him in his case- was harmless. Innocent.  
“They deserve to roam free, in the wild. Living their life without the fear of being hunted for _nothing_.”, Grindelwald continued. And Newt, he knew he was right. What Grindelwald was saying was true. His beasts, they didn't deserve any less.

“Newt!”, he heard the voice of his brother calling for him, trying to get to him, but the blue fire made it impossible. “Don't listen to him! He's manipulating you!”. Theseus was desperate. Knowing his brother's heart laid with his creatures. That his brother hated picking sides -and even though he had said he had, clearly intending to stay with the good ones, with _him_ \- Theseus couldn't help but worry that his brother would choose otherwise.

“Don't you think,”, Grindelwald's voice was raised, above Theseus, and Newt looked back to him. Having briefly glanced to Theseus, afraid of his brother getting hurt. “That those _aurors_ are going to use your creatures?”.  
Newt blinked. No. He... he hadn't thought about that.  
“Don't you remember the war? How they used those poor, afraid dragons, to fight.”, Grindelwald reminded Newt, who swallowed, chewing on his lips. Of course. The dragons only he had been able to “control”. He had gained their trust, nothing else. But... they... the people of the British Ministry of Magic, they made them afraid again. Terribly so. Even though the dragons, Ukrainian Ironbellies, had done so well, doing what the Aurors had wanted.  
That fear made them react in the only way they knew how to get potential threats away: attack. Only Newt hadn't been seen as threat, and thus, they hadn't tried to eat him. Only everyone else.

“Isn't it unfair how they killed those dragons? Just because _they_ treated them wrong?”, Grindelwald continued, and Newt gave the faintest of nods. It was true. It was unfair. It was more than unfair, it was _wrong._  
“Newt!”, Tina called for him, fear making her voice shrill. But Newt didn't even look at her. His gaze was fixed on Grindelwald, and his words.  
“All I want, is a world in which your creatures are safe.”, Grindelwald continued, unbothered by Tina, by Theseus, the flames keeping them at bay. “For every creature. To not be hunted. Not be killed unnecessarily. Just because they don't _care_.”.

Grindelwald raised his hand, holding it out towards Newt. Newt stood up, watching as Grindelwald stepped through the fire, and towards him. And he couldn't help but step down towards him.  
“ _NEWT!”_ , he heard both Theseus and Tina scream for him. But... Grindelwald was right. Even if his methods were wrong..  
“I won't be using your creatures. Or any creatures.”, Grindelwald's voice was soft, as he stood so close to Newt. As Newt looked at the offered hand. The promise of what he wished for was so close. Grindelwald wouldn't hurt his creatures. He wouldn't want to use them in a war.

It was all he needed, the final push, and he grabbed Grindelwald's hand. He could hear his friends screaming for him, but as Grindelwald pulled him closer, he couldn't help but feel _understood_. And he knew, none of the others had ever tried that. Had ever seen his creatures not as beasts, but living, feeling beings.  
He let himself be apparated away, uncaring to where it was. He would get his case, his creatures, and they'd be safe. He'd be safe.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't what I had wanted to write at all, and I don't know if it even fits with what I had wanted to write in the first place.  
> So I'll see.... maybe in the next chapter I'll actually write what I had intended to :'D
> 
> So yeah, that's why this is so short. But I hope you enjoy, and want to see what happens next!
> 
> Also, I apologize very very much if anything is going to get OOC, I am very afraid of writing fanfictions because I don't want to make them unrealisitc, out of character, that kinda stuff.  
> So I hope it's okay, and you'll excuse me if they don't seem right :')


	2. Needing to leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt goes to Grindelwald with a request.  
> He needs to leave, but not really _leave_.  
> Without a proper explanation what he wants or where he needs to go, he flees again.

Newt did feel slightly bad for betraying his friends, his _brother_. But they had to understand. His creatures... all of these fantastic beasts he saved, looked after, took care of them, and released them back into the wild. They needed to be seen as they were: innocent. And the only way he saw how to achieve that, was to follow Grindelwald. Just like how Queenie had found the only way to be able to be allowed to marry Jacob, was to follow Grindelwald. He was glad she was here, and he wasn't alone with his choice. Even if his friends -their friends- and his brother suffered from his choice.

There was honestly only one problem he was facing: he wasn't allowed to leave. He could go into his case, take care of his creatures. He could go to nearly everywhere inside of Nurmengard, where he found out they were. He didn't care where it was located exactly, nor did he really care for leaving -though he did want to get back to his home, to his creatures. He was sure Bunty took care of them while he was gone at the very least.

But there was a different problem he was facing, with not being allowed to leave. At least one person always knew where he was, and if no one did, he was searched for and an explanation was needed to where he had been. And lies were easily detected -not that Newt was very good at lying in the first place.

So, in an act of foolish bravery, he went to Grindelwald. Feet shuffling, his case clutched tightly in his hand. He couldn't leave it anywhere, he was afraid to leave it out of his sight. As much as he believed Grindelwald wouldn't allow for his case to be taken, for his creatures to be hurt, he couldn't trust any of the other followers. He only trusted Queenie. Because, even though se seemed a bit colder than before, she still cared about him, cared for him, and smiled at him. Genuine smiles. It eased Newt's nerves, to have her here, to be around her. But, that wasn't what is so important to him.

He can't help but wish she was here right now though, as he stood in front of the door behind which Grindelwald would be. His office, or study, or whatever he wanted to call it. Newt was trembling with nerves, never having been any good at talking with higher ups. But this was important. It was important that he did this. Because the whole castle seemed to have been charmed, the stones themselves carrying such old magic, it made Newt wonder how old this place really was. And who was able to disable the charms to apparate out of here, or do something else. Whatever these charms were, Newt was unable to use any sort of transportation method he knew. Which wasn't the worst thing, but it made trying to go _somewhere else_ rather painful, so he'd rather not try to.

He took a deep, shaky breath, and knocked on the door. Not a moment later, the door swung open, and Newt hesitated again.  
“Please, do come in.”, Grindelwald said, and Newt hurried to get inside, the door falling closed behind him by themselves.  
“Mister Scamander.”, Grindelwald hummed, and Newt shrunk into himself slightly. He didn't like being addressed by his last name. That was his brother. He was always called by their last name, not him. He was Newt. “What brings you to me?”.

Newt fidgeted where he stood, fingers clasped tightly around the handle of his case. He just needed to ask to be able to leave for a while. It wasn't even outside the castle. Technically. It was hard to explain, and he didn't bother trying to.  
“I- I need.. I would need to- t-to be able to.. to apparate.”, Newt managed to say, voice wavering. His awkward nature showing, never having been good with socializing.  
“And what would you need that for?”, Grindelwald responded, walking up to Newt. The magizoologist didn't like it, glancing at Grindelwald, before shifting his gaze elsewhere. Grindelwald was a predator, dominant, confident, unafraid. And Newt, he was the prey. Scared, unable to flee and save his life.

“I- I wouldn't be- b-be able to- to leave the castle! I- I just- I need... I need t-to- to go somewhere, and- and I- I can't really without- well- without being able to- use some sort of magic? Not- not really apparating- but- but something- well- something- I guess close to it?”. He was stumbling over his words, nervous to talk to Grindelwald. He seemed amused at this, but maybe also not? Newt may be able to detect small changes of the man's features, but naming the emotions it must be? It was nearly impossible for Newt.

“Now, that sounds awfully suspicious, doesn't it?”, Grindelwald was walking around Newt, reaching a hand out to let his fingers glide over Newt. That, Newt had already gotten to know of: Grindelwald was a very touchy-feely-person. Well, not feely, but he seemed to be touching people a lot. A way to show he was in control, to give false comfort, or a silent threat. Newt didn't like the man's cold touch.  
“I- I know- but-”, Newt bit his lip, chewing on it. He didn't know how he could make it less bad.  
“I- I need to go to a special place and- well- it is very very important. Like, very important? Super important. Even- well- uhm. Even you need- well- kind of- need me to go there.”, he tried again. Grindelwald stood in front of him now, and the man tilted his head at Newt's words. Letting his fingers glide underneath Newt's chin, raising it to make the nervous man look at him. Newt couldn't hold eye contact for longer than a second or two, before his gaze shifted away again.  
“Even I? But, you cannot tell me where you are going.”, the wizard murmured, and Newt nodded weakly. It sounded terrible, he was aware, but what else was he going to say?

“And what if I don't let you go? What is so important, that you absolutely have to go. What would happen if you don't?”, Grindelwald was slightly intrigued. Newt was always nervous, always awkward around people. Unable to really talk to them, unless he was talking about his creatures in one way or another. Or, as Grindelwald had been told by none other than Queenie herself, when he was talking with said woman.  
“Well.. uhm..”, Newt couldn't just tell Grindelwald! He muttered something quietly, shifting away slightly, glad that Grindelwald let him, and he wasn't being touched anymore.  
“Speak up, Newton.”, Grindelwald pretty much commanded, and Newt flinched at the almost harsh words, sharp like a knife. He bit his lip again, hard enough it actually started to bleed. Grindelwald watched him, waiting.

“You... you wouldn't notice what happens.”, Newt mumbled quietly, but loud enough for Grindelwald to hear at least.  
“Oh?”, Grindelwald tried prompting for more from Newt. The magizoologist fiddled with his coat with his free hand, nervous, not wanting to speak more. He didn't trust Grindelwald with his secret.  
“You'll- I'll-... I'll make- I'll make sure you'll know what happens.”, Newt mumbled instead, moving a step backwards, away from Grindelwald. He wanted to leave, go to Queenie. Let her help calm his thoughts, and nerves.  
“I- Excuse me- I- I need to go-”, Newt knew he shouldn't just “run away” from Grindelwald like he was turning to do, but he felt scared of further socializing. He couldn't help it, it just was how it was. Luckily, Grindelwald let him go without another word. Just a curious gaze following his back, until Newt had left his field of vision.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is going to go where I actually wanted it, so I'm glad I got what I got.  
> I did want to write Newt and Grindelwald, so I needed something to have them interact, so I guess the first chapter is good for that.  
> So yeah, I hope Newt isn't too OOC, as I hope Grindelwald isn't. Excuse me if they are, but I'll keep writing them how I am now.


	3. How to stop time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald notices that time seems to have _stopped_.  
> Once time is ticking again, he finds Newt, and questions him.

Nothing seemed to happen, much to Grindelwald's disappointment. There was just _something_ about that Scamander, the way he had come to him and asked permission to leave, but not really leave. He hadn't made much sense. It was like he asked to go into his case, which he was very much allowed to. He couldn't leave Nurmengard through the use of his case after all. So why did he ask about something like that, but clearly not the same? Especially since he needed to be able to use some sort of magic for it. Like apparating, but not exactly that. Grindelwald was, genuinely, curious.

It was two days after Newt had come to him, during midday, that he did notice something strange. He was used to the castle being quiet, but he could always feel the silent hum of the magic coursing through the walls, the numerous charms he had placed, had been placed within each stone. But something let them fall silent, and he didn't like that.

Standing, he moved to leave the room he was in, and make his way towards Newt's. He had said he'd make sure he'd notice what happens. And whatever had happened, Newt was the one to reverse it, apparently. While he walked, he noticed that there was no wind outside today. Which was, all in all, a minor change he noticed. It wasn't that strange for there to be no wind, though he was certain he had heard a stronger breeze earlier that day.  
But then he came upon someone else, which made him halt in his way. The person seemed frozen where they stood. In mid-step. They weren't breathing, not thinking, not blinking. It was like time itself was frozen, Grindelwald noted. Which explained the magic being silent, this person -presumably all people- being frozen mid-movement, that there was no wind outside. But, the real question was, why could he still move?

Grindelwald apparated. With no magic working from time being frozen, he could easily do that. No need to lower any charms or go outside. He appeared again in Newt's room, but didn't find the man here, like he would've thought. Somehow, Newt had either stopped time, or had made him an exception of being frozen like everyone else. And, most likely, Newt would be nowhere to be found. He had asked to be able to go somewhere, that wouldn't necessarily leave the castle, but also in a sense would. He trusted the man not to have fled the castle, their cause. He seemed to still firmly believe that Grindelwald was the way to change the laws and the way of the wizarding world -even if he didn't approve of violence. But his friend, Queenie, also wasn't the fondest of the idea of a war, though she thought the same as Newt. Only Grindelwald would bring change.

But, since he couldn't find Newt here, he had to wait for the wizard to return. And with time being frozen, he had no way of telling how much time was actually passing for him. At least it gave him enough time to think.  
If Newt was able to stop time, and choose for whom it didn't stop, he was incredibly powerful. And thus, also incredibly useful. Wherever Newt had gone off to, he could control time from there. At least, that's what Grindelwald figured. He was sure the magizoologist wasn't going to just let him use that power though. Newt was against having to kill anyone if it could be helped, but if he could just freeze time, with the exception of Grindelwald... well, he could simply kill those he needs to, and not start an outright war. Maybe he could convince Newt with that argument, to use this extreme power he held. For the greater good.

Grindelwald was startled out of his thoughts when he felt the magic hum in the walls again, and Newt appeared again. It was almost like he had apparated here, but Grindelwald knew he hadn't. The wizard didn't seem surprised at all to see Grindelwald there, though he did avert his gaze pretty much immediately after having seen Grindelwald.  
“Newton, my boy.”, Grindelwald said, walking close to the other. Laying a hand on Newt's arm, and using the other to tilt his face up again to better be able to look at him. “Do tell, are you controlling time?”.  
Newt shifted where he stood, glancing at Grindelwald now and again. “I- well. Not- not really? Kind of- I- well- I guess? I- it's- it's only kind of in- in my control? I- well. Yes..?”.  
Grindelwald chuckled at Newt's stuttering, gently caressing his cheek. He would get Newt to do what he wanted, one way or another. For now, he wouldn't bring up his plan. He needed Newt to trust him, to _want_ to help him. So he couldn't rush the shy wizard. Newt needed to allow him to use his powers. And for that, he needed Newt to trust him enough to show him where he went to control time.

“Tell me, how often do you need to go to wherever you go?”, Grindelwald asked then. The hand on Newt's arm gentle, the hand on his cheek affectionate. Gently stroking the freckled skin, watching Newt's blue eyes nervously flit around the room.  
“I- well- uhm. I- I think- I- next time I- I need to- I- next time- well- uhm. In- in a few d-days? M-maybe- maybe a- a week?..”, Newt answered, looking for a moment at Grindelwald. The mismatched eyes, white and black, holding no emotion as far as the awkward wizard could tell. It didn't help him feel any better, neither did Grindelwald's touches.  
“And you will come find me again before that time, won't you? I would love to give you permission to be able to leave to your wondrous place, without you having to let time freeze.”, Grindelwald spoke softly, looking into Newt's eyes. He could tell the other wasn't sure about all of this, how close Grindelwald stood to him, how he was touching him. That didn't mean he was going to stop, though.  
“I- uhm- yes- yes of- of course.”, Newt replied and nodded lightly, as much as he could with Grindelwald's hand on his cheek. The touch wasn't bad in itself, but it scared Newt. How soft and gentle Grindelwald was being, even though all he knew of the man was how terrible and evil he was.

“Good.”, Grindelwald smiled, and let go of Newt. He turned around then, and made to leave the room. “I will look forward to that, Newton.”, he hummed, chuckling as he left. He was going to make Newt see what all he could do with his power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now we knew what Newt's secret is! Yay!  
> Not fully to what extend, of course, but we will get to that in the next chapter most likely! Because that's what I wanted to write! :'D  
> So yeah, I hope you like this secret Newt has. What makes him not human, as stated in the tags!
> 
> I do have a question though:  
> Do you want Grindelnewt? Because, I love the ship, and I could very much make this shippy, but also not. So, tell me what you would like!


	4. Why did he choose him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is badly affected by Newt going with Grindelwald.  
> And Theseus is stuck with Newt's niffler too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, sorry

They had barely managed to restrain the blue fire, stopping it from destroying Paris. Jacob could barely hold himself together, gasping for breaths as he tried to stop himself from sobbing. The love of his life, Queenie, had left. Had left him and her sister, all of their friends, behind. To join Grindelwald for- for what? For mass-murder? Slaughtering muggles? Enslaving what he was?

Theseus tried to keep strong. First, watching his brother being- being _manipulated_ into following Grindelwald. And then... Leta... He couldn't hold back a sob, breathing heavily. His brother was gone, having left with Grindelwald, and the woman he loved, dead. He couldn't believe what had happened. That all of this had happened, in a matter of- maybe hours. Not even. He couldn't tell. All he knew was how absolutely broken he felt.

He heard some ruffling, soft noises. It made him look to the ground, to see Newt's niffler limping. Biting his lip, he crouched down, holding his hands out to the little creature.  
“Come here... I got you..”, he spoke softly, the niffler crawling into his hands. Theseus picked it up, holding it against his chest. It was all that was left of Newt. One of the beasts he had had for so long. One of his best friends, even.  
“I'll take care of you. Until we have Newt back.”, he murmured, gently petting the little creature. It was all he could do. There was nothing left of Newt, besides this little niffler, and his home.  
Theseus barely noticed when the niffler pulled something out of its pouch. He took it from it -him? Her? Them?- and looked at it. Some... silver amulet of sorts? With two red drops floating inside...  
“A blood pact?..”, he mumbled. He'd deal with that later, putting the trinket into his pocket.

Theseus looked up when Tina walked over to him, seeing the pain in her eyes. He knew she was close to Newt, as much as he had been able to see of him and Tina in the last weeks at least. She was as hurt as he was about Newt leaving them. And she had lost her sister to Grindelwald as well.  
“Did he really pick his side?..”, Theseus' voice was quiet, weak. Newt had never wanted to pick a side. He had never wanted to be involved in anything concerning politics.  
“No.. I.. I don't believe it.”, Tina replied quietly, shaking her head. But there were tears in her eyes. And they both knew, it didn't really matter. Newt was with Grindelwald now, right at this moment. And they didn't know what would happen in the future.

Theseus was aware of Newt's secret. He was the only one that knew, since Newt had never trusted anyone else with it. It was... it was a weird power, not even really a power. Newt had taken him with him to that place once. The place in which Newt could, essentially, control time. He had told him that he had always been able to go there. That he _had_ to go there, or time would stop moving.  
What worried Theseus now, though. Was only that if Grindelwald got to know about that power, that he would try and use Newt to stop time for everyone but himself. So he could do whatever he wanted, while no one could stop him.

He didn't tell anyone about that though. He knew Newt trusted him with his secret, that no one in the world but the two of them would know. So he kept his worries to himself, and instead focused his entire self into tracking Grindelwald down, and finding Newt.

He went to Dumbeldore with the blood pact, and the little niffler. He kept them with him as much as possible, keeping shiny things in his pockets for the niffler to be satisfied with. They didn't appear to feel up to their usual mischief anyways, more subdued. Theseus understood that though, they were away from Newt -all of his creature's mommy- and away from all of the other creatures as well. Whenever Theseus was alone, he cuddled with the niffler, trying to hold back the sadness, the worry, that he felt for Newt.  
He should've known Grindelwald would've been able to talk Newt into joining him. He had hoped, he had hoped that Grindelwald thought of Newt as weak. That he underestimated him, and would leave him alone. But he hadn't. Grindelwald had seen Newt's potential, somehow, in something, and now he was gone.

Everyone could tell he was grieving, even if Newt wasn't truly gone. He was still alive, and still had his case full of creatures with him. Newt was still himself, hopefully. He had never liked violence, Theseus knew that. Newt was a gentle soul, and would never want what Grindelwald did. He would never want muggles to be killed and enslaved. He didn't want a war, he never would want to experience another one. But Newt was with the one person that did want a war. And it worried Theseus, that perhaps, Grindelwald would be able to change Newt more than he could imagine. That his innocent little brother, would turn against all of them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this was a shorter chapter than usual.  
> I just couldn't come up with a lot to write with the other's, since my main focus is on Newt and his powers :')  
> But at least you got another chance to tell me if you want some Grindelnewt!  
> I do write these chapters in advance, so when this chapter here is posted, I'll either have the next one written already, or will write it after posting this.  
> So I hope I get some answers if you want Grindelnewt or not! :'D


	5. The Obscurial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt has a short talk with Credence.  
> He wants to help the Obscurial, Newt knows Credence will be hurt.  
> But what can he do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat short, sorry

Newt was glad that he didn't need to go to Grindelwald again soon. The man was intimidating, in his own way. And Newt wasn't able to handle that very well, even though there was some strange pull towards Grindelwald. The man was tall, intimidating. Self-confident and believing in his cause, in what he wanted to accomplish. Newt admired how confident Grindelwald was, how sure he was about himself. Even if not all what Grindelwald wanted was what Newt wanted.

So, Newt went to seek out Credence. He knew that Credence was desperate for family, for love, and that he wasn't getting it. But he also knew that Credence was now anything but wanting to know anything about the wizard community, bitter by their try of killing him.  
Newt hoped that Credence didn't hate him though. Newt had done nothing but try and help him, comfort him. Wanting to save him from what those aurors had tried, had made. It scared him a little, how powerful Credence was, how powerful an obscurial he was. But he knew, if Credence could control his magic, properly learned it. That if he didn't feel the need to suppress his magic anymore, maybe he could heal.

“Credence?”, Newt spoke softly, entering the large room. Huge windows showing the mountains outside, frosted at the edges. Credence stood there, turning to look towards Newt when he entered, and walked closer to him.  
“Mister Scamander?”, he asked, his voice still quiet, rather soft. But not as afraid anymore. He had a wand, he was strong. He could direct his obscurus, he was sure of it. He just had to be a little confdent.  
“Y-yes, hello.”, Newt smiled lightly, though was unable to meet Credence's eyes. Newt was never good with looking at people. “And- and please- Newt- Newt is fine.”. He never liked being called by his last name, it didn't fit him.

“N-Newt..”, Credence nodded lightly. He remembered Newt. His kind voice, how he tried to help him. Newt had managed to calm him down, until... until those other wizards came. Newt had tried to save him from getting killed. He remembered that, and he could never hate Newt for that.  
“I- I don't take you- uhm. You re- remember me?”, Newt glanced up at Credence, eyes barely peeking through his mop of hair. Credence knew that Newt wasn't good around people, and it was... it was kind of nice. To see someone as awkward as himself.

“I do. You.. you helped me. Which was really nice.”, Credence replied, smiling lightly. Newt seemed to light up at that, smiling as he looked up at the other.  
“I'm really sorry for- for what happened... I- I tried... I wanted to- to help, but..”, Newt's gaze was back on the ground, and he seemed rather sad. Maybe even hurt? Disappointed in himself.  
“It... it wasn't your fault, mis-... Newt.”, Credence tried to reassure Newt. He didn't blame Newt, but the lady who had seemed in charge. She had ordered them to kill him -or try to at least.  
“I'm still- very s-sorry.”, Newt mumbled, fidgeting with his coat. He was used to holding his case, and not carrying it was weird. But, he had just wanted to seem more approachable, and left his case locked up and hidden inside of his room. He was pretty sure no one was going to find it.

Credence smiled lightly. That was probably the nicest thing he had ever been told, and someone who meant it genuinely. Newt was a very kind, and genuine person. Unlike.. unlike Mister Graves had been.  
“How- uhm. Are you- well- uhm. Doing?”, Newt asked then. He looked around the room, glancing at Credence again and again. He knew eye-contact was important, he was just very bad at it. He didn't feel comfortable looking other people in the eyes.  
Credence was a bit taken aback at the question, making him fiddle with his hands, slouching just a little. It was unfamiliar, the kindness, the genuine interest in him.  
“Well.. I.. I'm okay.”, he replied then, shifting where he stood. Newt glanced at him again, hands nervously fiddling with his fingers.  
“I- you- uhm- you got a w-wa-wand, ri-ght?”, Newt chose not to linger too long on a question, especially since Credence seemed like he needed Newt to lead the conversation.

Credence stood up straighter when Newt continued, feeling a little proud of himself.  
“Yes. Mister Grindelwald gave it to me.”, he replied. He had been given his name, he had been promised that his powers could be controlled. He held onto that knowledge, onto that promise. He knew who he was, even if he had no clue about who or what his family was.

Newt nodded mutely. He was aware Credence had no idea Grindelwald had impersonated Graves. He still didn't know where Graves was, or what had happened to him. He hoped he was alive though, that he was alright. Out there, somewhere. Hopefully.  
“I..”, Newt started, before shaking his head. He couldn't tell Credence. He was afraid of what would happen if he knew. “You- you should- you should get a- a t-teacher. For- magic.”, he settled on instead. He knew Credence needed someone to properly teach him.  
“You- you can't- the Obscurus- it's- it's dangerous for you. T-to- to you. If- if someone.. properly t-taught you- taught you magic, then- then you'd- you'd...”, Newt took a deep breath, sighing. He just wanted what was best for Credence, but he couldn't help him himself.  
“I- I'm sorry-”, Newt turned around and began leaving the room again. He hated talking with people, it was hard, even if he wanted to stay with Credence, talk with him, help. He just couldn't do it, he had to leave.  
Credence wanted to stop Newt from leaving, mouth opening to speak, before he stopped. He was as bad as conversations as Newt was, and he wouldn't know what to say either if he wanted to stop Newt from leaving. So he let him go, watching quietly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't have a lot of time nor motivation to write today I'm really sorry  
> So this chapter is pretty short, well, somewhat short. I didn't want to continue onwards with a time skip in the middle of a chapter, so we'll leave Credence and Newt talking as a stand-alone.  
> Next chapter will feature more of Newt's secret/power, so look out for that!
> 
> And yes, I know, I don't HAVE to update every day, but I want to :')


	6. Ticking away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time will stop again soon.  
> So, as Newt had promised, he goes to Grindelwald to tell him.  
> He ends up taking Grindelwald with him, and the dark wizard gets to know where Newt "controls time".

Newt was pacing back and forth in his room. His case laying on his bed, securely closed -he had fixed that broken clasp first thing after joining Grindelwald. He didn't need any of his creatures running around Nurmengard, not wanting them to get hurt, or anything else. Anything _worse_. Newt couldn't trust the people here, other than Queenie. These followers of Grindelwald were brutal, not hesitating to use violence if they seemed it deemed fit. And sadly, they did that a lot. Newt has never felt as reclusive as now, hiding away from people, trying to stay unnoticed. Walking close to walls, his gaze always on the ground, never speaking a word to others unless he absolutely had to.

Right now, something else worried him though. He needed to go back to... well. His secret. And he needed to go to Grindelwald so he could leave, but he also didn't want to actually tell Grindelwald what he was truly doing, he was afraid Grindelwald would truly try and get him to share it with him. Would try and- and use what Newt had for his cause. And Newt really, truly didn't want that. It made him nervous, anxious. He didn't want to go to Grindelwald, but he knew the man would notice if he didn't.  
Sure, Grindelwald wouldn't notice if time stopped. He'd be affected as well after all, everyone was. Everyone except Newt. Well, that wasn't really true either. Newt _was_ affected by time stopping, just not fully. He could move, and talk, and use magic, and affect other items. But he didn't _age_. His mortality stopped, and he was, technically, immortal. He wasn't sure if he could get hurt during the time stopped, but he hadn't been able to so far, so he merely assumed. If it wasn't proven, then why assume it was false?

Newt sighed, running a hand through his hair. What should he do? Even if Grindelwald didn't know time had stopped and Newt had gone to make it move again, he would eventually notice that it must have happened. Newt had said a few days -a week or so. After that time passed, Grindelwald would notice that Newt hadn't come to him. It had been days now, and Newt could feel the familiar feeling inside of him. Pulling out his pocket-watch, he winced. He needed to go. He couldn't hide away any longer, he had to go to Grindelwald, he had to leave, but how would he go about that?  
Telling himself that Grindelwald wouldn't be able to do anything without Newt's consent, he tried to calm his thoughts. Grindelwald couldn't get to the place without Newt. He wouldn't be able to touch anything, do anything, as long as Newt was keeping an eye on him.

Having calmed himself down far enough that he felt comfortable to leave the room, he hid his case again -always in different places, making sure he had all necessary charms on it, and every protective manner he could've thought about. It was, pretty much, indestructible. So he didn't really worry about his case -though he would always worry if it wasn't by his side, but he couldn't take it with him to where he needed to go- and made his way to Grindelwald's office. Or whatever he called it. Newt called it office at the very least. He didn't mind places not having names, but it made it easier to think about, and Newt did a lot of thinking. And thinking was one of the things Newt felt most comfortable with -he was most comfortable with his creatures though, of course. Newt wished he could just turn on his heels and hop into his case, snuggle with all of his friends. But, alas, he couldn't. He _had_ to do this, face his fear face on. Why did only humans manage to scare him? He hated it.

Sighing, he stood in front of the doors behind which Grindelwald would be. He could feel it, he was sure of it, able to tell the dark wizard was behind there. He scared Newt too, because Grindelwald was so _clearly_ an alpha -dominant, strong, confident, a leader. And Newt, he was anything but. He was shy, reserved, awkward. Unable to hold eye contact, feeling uncomfortable getting looked at in the eyes, being stared at. He was glad there were no actual dynamics in human and wizard kind, or he'd have to worry about being an omega and being treated as like than he was.  
He shook his head, getting rid of those thoughts. It didn't help at all. He hated worrying, and he normally didn't this much. But he was scared, and he wanted to hide in his case where he _didn't_ have to worry about anything, and _wouldn't._

Newt's hand barely connected with the door before it swung open, startling Newt. He took another shuddering breath, before walking inside, looking around nervously. His gaze lingered on Grindelwald, sitting behind his desk, and Newt could picture him perfect for one of those cliché villains of a muggle movie. Newt quickly pulled his gaze away, walking closer to the desk, but staying a few feet away from it.

“Newton.”, Grindelwald hummed, tilting his head lightly as he looked towards Newt. The man shifting where he was standing, fiddling with his sleeves nervously. He only briefly looked up when Grindelwald spoke up, and the wizard chuckled seeing it. He could almost feel how nervous Newt was.  
“I- uhm-”, Newt started, eyes flitting around the room, never managing to stay on Grindelwald for much longer than a few seconds. His gaze just unsettled Newt, that pair of mismatched eyes staring straight through him.  
“I presume you must leave again?”, Grindelwald offered, leaning forward onto his desk. He craved to stand, tower over Newt, hold him close and feel the tremors wrecking Newt's body. Grindelwald could see the magizoologist shaking from here.  
“I- y-yes. Yes that's- that's exactly- I mean- not exactly, b-but- you know-I need to- go b-back to where I- gotta. Go.Y-yeah.”, Newt nodded, rubbing the fabric of his coat's sleeves between his fingers. He really needed to go, and hew knew Grindelwald would let him, well, he hoped. At least, he was glad that Grindelwald was leading the conversation, or else they would've been stuck at this point, in an awkward silence.  
“I suppose I should let you leave then, hm?”, Grindelwald hummed, an amused smirk on his lips. He was very interested in what Newt was doing, what this time controlling business was. And he certainly wasn't going to just let Newt go.  
“Y-yes- yes p-please. I- I really need- I really need t-to go.”, Newt replied and nodded. He glanced up when he heard movement, saw it in the corner of his eyes. Watching as Grindelwald rose from his seat, striding around the desk. Newt couldn't keep looking at Grindelwald, as the dark wizard walked towards Newt, walking around him and looking down at him.

“I'm afraid I can't let you go unsupervised.”, Grindelwald mused, seeing how Newt tensed, gaze on his feet at this point. “You came back without trouble the last time, but how can I trust you will again?”. Grindelwald stopped in front of Newt, looking down at him. One hand behind his back, and the other moving to raise Newt's chin. He looked startled, eyes wide up at Grindelwald, before he looked away again.  
“And- what- I- what d-do- what should we- I mean- what- uhm.”, Newt was stuttering, feeling uncomfortable with how close Grindelwald was to him. He could feel the biting cold heat of Grindelwald. He didn't feel warm, it was like a gust of cold air being blown against him after stepping out of a warm cozy house. But at the same time, Grindelwald's touch felt burning, scalding against Newt's skin, and he wanted to get away, even though he was afraid to move.  
“You will take me with you, Newton.”, Grindelwald spoke, his voice quiet, barely a whisper. Newt's eyes widened at the words, gaze snapping to Grindelwald. He was clearly surprised, startled, and held eye contact as he tried to figure out what Grindelwald had said.  
“Y-you- you want- you want to- to- for m- me to- to take y-you with- with me?”, Newt asked, turning his gaze away from Grindelwald, though he didn't try to pull his head away from Grindelwald's touch either. He was too scared to do so, honestly.

“Exactly.”, Grindelwald replied with a smirk. He watched Newt's eyes fly around the room, obviously thinking, trying to make a decision. Newt didn't know if he could just take Grindelwald with him, though he had already thought about that before even leaving his room.  
“W-well- uhm. I- I guess?”, Newt finally answered, and it was clear how relieved he was when Grindelwald stopped touching him. Instead, the dark wizard took a step back, and pulled out his wand. With a few motions, Grindelwald dispelled and altered some wards. Newt watched for a few moments, before he started to feel the wards changing, his magic reacting differently to them. It was nice, he didn't feel as constricted anymore, though he wouldn't dare try do anything.  
He realized he had to do something when he looked up again and saw Grindelwald's expectant gaze on him, making him fidget again for a moment, before reaching out a hand and holding it out to Grindelwald.  
“Side-along?”, he muttered quietly, clearly flustered and uncomfortable about this. But, Grindelwald easily grabbed ahold of Newt's hand, pulling the small man closer to himself. Newt blushed as he stumbled against Grindelwald's chest, hesitating before he looked up at Grindelwald for a moment, before letting the two of them “disappear”.

It wasn't really apparating. It felt similar, but also strangely different. It felt like it took _longer_ , stretched them out wide and thin, before they snapped back into place. Immediately the sound of clocks ticking surrounded them, dozen -no, hundreds, maybe _thousands_ of clocks. They were in a room that seemed endless, stretching out wide into long hallways, the ceiling looking- _missing_. Grindelwald couldn't make anything out above them, except _clocks_. Covering every available space, and no clock looked the exact same.  
The ticking quickly started to irritate Grindelwald, so many different clocks, all sounding differently. Louder, quieter, quicker, faster, and it ground on his brain, tingling his nerves and making him highly aware of every little sound, but also the sound was deafining.

As if Newt knew Grindelwald's discomfort, he cast a sound muffling charm over the two of them, smiling lightly. He felt at ease here, knowing he could protect this place from Grindelwald. There was no way the other wizard would be able to do anything here other than follow Newt.  
“So, Newt. Care to explain?”, Grindelwald prompted then, as Newt started to walk and lead them through the jungle of clocks, knowing where to go exactly.  
“Ah- uhm. Yes.”, Newt nodded lightly. “So- this. This controls time and- and not- not really _me_.”, he started, motioning around at the clocks. “Each clock is- is for something or- well- some _one_ different. They- they kind of- like- keep time running?”. Newt had troubles explaining it, but he also didn't want to explain _too_ much to Grindelwald. The less he knew, the better.

Grindelwald hummed lightly, nodding as he looked around. He was glad for the sound muffling, making the obnoxious ticking bearable and almost able to be ignored completely. The wizard almost stopped when he spotted a broken clock, and then noticed some that weren't ticking at all.  
“What are those broken and stopped clocks?”, Grindelwald asked then, looking at Newt. He was curious, wanting to know. If these clocks controlled the time of certain people and things...  
“Oh.”, Newt halted his steps, looking over to where Grindelwald had spotted the mentioned clocks. His expression seemed... sad? Almost like looking at them hurt.  
“The... the broken ones, they're- they're... dead.”, he said, quietly beginning to walk again. “The others- they're- they're not... really stopped. They're just very v-very slow... People in coma's, or.. or dying... stuff like that..”.  
Grindelwald hummed lightly and nodded, watching Newt in mild curiosity. He could tell how hurt Newt was by it, even though it was not Newt's fault, or even responsibility. Newt's compassion and caring nature was something Grindelwald didn't understand, couldn't. It was strange to him, how Newt cared about everyone and everything he came upon.

“So tell me Newton. What is it you do here, if not control time of everyone and everything?”, Grindelwald asked, passing through something resembling a doorway, which seemed to fully alter their surroundings. The ticking seemed to almost entirely _stop_ , and so did their walking. Instead, they were faced with one _huge_ clock.  
“I rewind the clocks, so time doesn't stop.”, Newt answered, smiling lightly as he looked up at the clock. Ticking slowly, ticks dull and almost dark.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter after days of not posting  
> Not a lot of time the last days after work, and little motivation  
> I don't think I can post every day again, sorry :')  
> But I will try my damndest not to abandon this story
> 
> ANYWAYS THE BIG SECRET IS OUT WHOOP  
> “I rewind the clocks, so time doesn't stop.” is actually the lyric of a song that inspired me to write this (song's in german originally tho)


	7. Wind-up clocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald is witness to how Newt has to rewind a clock to make sure time wouldn't stop.  
> Questions arise. Why hadn't he been affected once? And why did Newt _never_ seem to be affected?  
> Newt answers.

The clock resembled a grandfather-clock, just without the body. Slowly ticking away, looking like any other clock that Grindelwald had ever seen. It was just remarkably huge. The engravings of the wood were intricate, and Grindelwald could spot several lines of writing. The more he looked, though, the more he saw. It seemed to be in every language in existence, still used and already long forgotten. There were engravings of intricate patterns, even animals and objects. The detail was breathtaking, and Grindelwald couldn't take his gaze off of it.  
It was, all in all, just a clock. Technically, it was all it was. And Grindelwald was very aware of that. But, the sheer beauty of it was making it hard for the wizard to turn his gaze away from it. Only when he noticed Newt was climbing up at the side of the clock, almost behind it, did Grindelwald look away. Instead, he watched Newt, wondering what he was doing.

He decided to follow along, then, seeing no point in staying where he was. His fingers glided over the beautiful wood as he walked to its side, watching almost in awe as under his fingers a new engraving appeared right beneath his fingertips. The sign of the Deathly Hallows, a sign he had claimed for himself. He wondered why it appeared now, but was pulled out of his thoughts by a creaking noise. He looked up, and saw Newt pushing open something like a door -something he wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for Newt. Neither would he have noticed the seeming rungs of a ladder at the side of the clock, which looked perfectly like a part of the clock.  
Watching Newt climb into the clock, Grindelwald was quick to follow suit. He had already noticed that magic didn't seem to work here, or at least, something was blocking it. So he had to climb up the ladder with nothing but muscle strength, which he luckily had anyways. He climbed up no problem, peeking inside the workings of the clock once he reached the top. It looked complicated, much more complicated than any normal clock Grindelwald had ever seen. He climbed inside, looking around, seeing floating parts, some that didn't even look like they belonged in a clock, small orbs of light glowing in different colours. Casting their different lights onto everything around, leaving ominous shadows in every corner.

Grindelwald looked around, trying to find where Newt was. Spotting movement out of the corner of his eyes -something that didn't look like the floating parts anyways- and walked towards it. He found Newt tinkering away at some things, and he curiously watched. He didn't intend on reaching out to anything and potentially break anything, content just watching.  
“I know you've followed me.”, Newt speaks up. His voice is soft, still a little uncertain, but with how focused he was on whatever it was he was doing, he didn't seem quite as nervous. It made Grindelwald wonder how perceptive Newt really was, though he supposed the man had to be, considering what he did for a living.  
“Will you enlighten me on how this works?”, Grindelwald asked instead, watching curiously as Newt grabbed a few floating parts and tools, and started mending them, putting them together. He clearly knew what he was doing.  
“I don't suppose I will.”, Newt replied and shook his head. He knew he was safe here. He knew Grindelwald couldn't do anything to hurt him. But he was still nervous, that something could happen to him still. As soon as they left this space, he knew he'd be back at the mercy of Grindelwald.

The dark wizard just hummed in reply though, which barely managed to help calm Newt's nerves. Maybe Grindelwald knew that he couldn't do anything to Newt here. It was all he could hope for, at the very least. So, Newt stepped away from where Grindelwald was behind him, to instead move over to the middle of the clock. Carefully moving parts around, he put the small piece he had just made into the middle of it all, attaching it carefully, before taking out his wand. He didn't mutter a single word, though a golden glittering string of light appeared on the tip of his wand, and connected with a part of what Newt had made. Moving his wand, the pieces began to move, and Newt watched carefully for anything out of place.  
Grindelwald watched as everything seemed to come alive, parts aligning themselves and moving in tandem, knowing what to do, or perhaps, being told by Newt. Everything seemed to be moving, turning, and the sound of a wind-up clock being winded sounded around them, until Newt stopped his movements. The light from his wand disappeared, and Newt put it back in its holster. The parts that had previously just floated around went back to doing just that, just like nothing had happened. Even the parts that Newt had put together and placed into the middle disassembled and floated back out into the room, some starting to glow and becoming orbs of light, while others stopped glowing and revealed they were parts as well.

“We're done.”, Newt said then, turning back to facing Grindelwald. He couldn't look Grindelwald in the eyes, as he never seemed able to be. Not that either of them were bothered by that though, since Newt was used to never holding eye-contact, and Grindelwald could care less in most situations with this man.  
“We will be leaving, then?”, Grindelwald replied, looking Newt over. This was all still very.... strange. Nothing he would have ever expected, let alone have thought of possible. But here they were, in a world seemingly made out of clocks, appearing to be in control of time. Only that Newt denied being in control of it.  
“Y-yes. Though, uhm. Any... any questions?...”, Newt clamped up again, uncertain about this. He knew he should just leave, and never let Grindelwald back here, but he knew that the dark wizard would have a thousand questions, and if he left without answering at least some, that Grindelwald would just want to come back here.

Grindelwald chuckled, eyes roaming over Newt. How the light danced off of his skin, the shadows cast on him dark. His pale skin seemed to be glowing, the freckles standing out stark against it. He was a true beauty like this, powerful in a way Grindelwald would have never expected.  
“Actually, yes.”, Grindelwald hummed, stepping up to Newt. Raising his hand, he caressed Newt's cheek with his knuckles, gentle. He moved his hand to glide his fingertips along Newt's jaw, until they slid beneath his chin and tilted it up, making Newt look at him. Big bright eyes looking up at Grindelwald in a moment of panic, before he tried to look away. All he could do was look around with his eyes, as he was forced to face Grindelwald.  
“You kept me able to move while the world was still. How?”, Grindelwald asked, leaning down close to Newt. It made the magizoologist even more nervous, and his hands fiddled with his coat, rubbing the material between his fingers. Of course Grindelwald would ask about that, who wouldn't?  
“And why aren't _you_ affected by it?”, Grindelwald asked as well then, his second hand moving onto Newt's back, pulling the smaller male closer to him. Curiosity sparkled in the mismatched pair of eyes, just like the look of determination to get to know what he wanted.

“I- well- uhm- could- I could- show you...”, Newt muttered, cheeks flaming red. He was uncomfortable being this close to Grindelwald, feeling the warmth of the dark wizard's body against his own. He wanted to get away, but he felt frozen to the spot, unable to do anything but stare at Grindelwald and how- how _comfortable_ he was with touching him, holding him, doing all this.  
“Well, then let's go, shall we?”, Grindelwald chuckled, and he was so close to Newt that he could feel his breath against his lips, making Newt's cheeks an even darker shade of red. Newt nodded quickly, and was more than glad when he was finally let go. Finally able to turn away, Newt hurried back to where they had come from and pulled the door open again. It seemed to have closed on its own.  
Grindelwald followed Newt at a more leisurely pace, offering a hand to Newt to hold on to as he carefully climbed over the side and onto the ladder. Newt took the offered hand with a heavy blush and no eye-contact, before he started climbing down. Grindelwald followed suit soon after, watching curiously as the door pulled itself closed, and seemed to melt into the wood once it was closed. Grindelwald would never be able to tell where the door began and where it stopped even though he knew a door was there.

Once at the bottom again, Grindelwald straightened out his clothes a little, making sure he looked pristine as ever. Looking over at Newt, he shook his head lightly, reaching out and smoothing his hands over Newt's clothes, tugging his shirt, vest, and coat back into proper place. He noted how Newt blushed deeply at the actions, trying to shift where he stood, trying to get away. But he didn't, not until Grindelwald was done and seemingly content with how he looked. At least, with his clothes. Newt's unruly hair would forever be unruly, most likely.  
“Let's- let's go.”, Newt muttered, fiddling with his fingers for a few moments, before turning around and walking back out the room. Grindelwald dutifully followed behind, his gaze lingering on Newt this time, instead of looking around at their surroundings.

Newt was still clearly uncomfortable, even though he also seemed less afraid of Grindelwald here than he was in Nurmengard. Like he knew he was safe here, that Grindelwald couldn't hurt him here. And perhaps, that was true. Grindelwald couldn't use magic here, he was unable to get out of this place by himself and needed Newt for that. And even though Grindelwald hadn't tried to touch anything yet, he was almost sure he wouldn't be able to if he tried. He could feel something strange like magic coming off of every clock he got close to just passing by, like it was repelling him as a being. Like they didn't trust him.

They stopped walking soon, and Newt pulled his wand again. He drew patterns in the air, soft golden glitters appearing and vanishing as he went. Grindelwald saw Newt drawing the sign of the Deathly Hallows last, before he moved his wand down. A clock floated down from further up, and Grindelwald watched curiously. The clock was sleek, elegant, black and white. It would best be described as ghothic even, though with an appearance as if it were old as time itself. _For the greater good_ was engraved in the black wood, and the handles were mismatched.  
“This- is your c-clock.”, Newt said, once the clock was peacefully hanging in the air in front of the two. It was ticking away steadily, like a lot of the clocks on the wall behind them. It seemed to be the normal pace for a human's clock, though Grindelwald had no idea if he could somehow tell how long he still had to live or not, seeing his own clock.

Grindelwald hummed, looking it over. It fit him perfectly, even if there were small details about it to which he would disagree. Though he supposed this space would know him better than he himself did. It was still very interesting to him.  
“When- when the main clock stops- then- well- all clocks do. Stop- I mean. For as long as, well- uhm. The main clock.”, Newt started to explain. “But I- I can- well- the main clock is- it's not the only one I can- kind of, like, rewind? Wind up? So. I just- while all clocks were still, I- well I took your clock. And I wound it up! So- so you could move. And stuff.”.  
Grindelwald hummed and nodded. So Newt could probably _stop_ any clock he wanted to, just as well start any clock he wanted to as well. He wondered if he could _destroy_ the clocks as well, and thus, kill someone with it as well.  
“And- well- for your- your other question.”, Newt spoke up again, and Grindelwald looked to him again. Right, he had asked why Newt wasn't affected by time stopping. It couldn't be that Newt would be able to wind up his own clock when it was stopped.  
“Well.. I.. I don't- I don't _have_ a clock. As- as far as I know. I haven't- haven't been able to find it, nor- well. Did I ever seem, affected? by- by the clocks.”, Newt shrugged lightly, making a motion with his hand and wand which send Grindelwald's clock back up the wall where it came from.

“You don't have a clock?”, Grindelwald looked intrigued. Which was understandable. If _everyone_ and _everything_ had a clock, why didn't Newt? And what did that make him? Grindelwald walked around Newt, taking in how Newt seemed to shrink in on himself, make himself appear smaller than he actually was. Though, he was indeed smaller than Grindelwald anyways, making this look even more curious.  
“I- no. No I d-don't.”, Newt replied quietly, nodding lightly. He didn't have a clock, or at least had no access to it. No way to find it, no way to manipulate it. He had no idea where it was, if it was in the first place. He never really worried much about it, but now, that Grindelwald was looking at him with such a... a form of _hunger_ in his eyes, it made him afraid. Afraid of what Grindelwald was thinking, what he was _planning_.  
As far as both of the wizards knew, Newt might be _immortal_. He had aged normally so far, but he had survived everything life had thrown at him. He had never knocked on Death's door without being able to run away from it without a single problem.

And, knowing Grindelwald was well aware of that fact, was making Newt very, very scared.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long-ish chapter! Woo!
> 
> Anyways, more explanation I suppose? About all of this stuff Newt is wrapped up in?  
> I struggled to start writing again, because I have absolutely NO clue where to go with this  
> BUT I got at least one idea what I want to write in this story, though I still have no idea where to go with this fully. Not a SINGLE SLIGHTEST idea about an end either so  
> We'll see where this will go


	8. Right and Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt doesn't know what's right and wrong.  
> He's worrying about his friends, about Grindelwald's cause, about _everything_.  
> Why are humans so complicated?

Newt busied himself working. He couldn't go rescue new creatures, so he had to take care of the ones he still had in his case. Which were quite a lot, still, and some of them _should_ be going home and free again, but Newt wasn't allowed to leave. And he certainly wasn't going to be allowed to leave Nurmengard any time soon, but he would not let _anyone_ else get them back to their natural habitat. So, Newt had to continue taking care of them, while also not being too much of a mother-hen to any of them. But he was still glad he had them, a familiar and safe space.

He sighed when he plopped down in his shed, sitting down in his armchair. Surrounded by clutter, herbs and seeds, plants and books. He was safe here, nothing from the outside world could bother him here. He had made sure his case was safe from any turbulences and noises from the outside world, but was also charmed to be pretty much indestructible. He had made sure to have charms on the case so he knew if someone outside was trying to open it, to pick it up, or anything else Newt didn't want. That way, he could react without being clueless while taking care of his creatures.

He glanced at the many papers on his desk, his book still not done. Even if he did finish writing it, there was no way for him to get it published. But it would still prove a good distraction, so he stood up again to sit at his desk, sifting through his papers until he was back on track, and could begin writing again.

Having taken Grindelwald to the space of time, or so Newt decided to call it at least, had left him incredibly uneasy. Nothing had happened, after revealing he had no clock to Grindelwald. The other man had seemed very interested in it, but after prompting him to leave here again, Grindelwald had gone with him without any trouble. Newt went quickly back to his room, and immediately vanished down into his case. And now here he was, working on his book again, trying to forget all about what had happened this day. He didn't want to think about it, about how scary it really was to have Grindelwald there with him, so close, so _knowing_ of everything that Newt usually kept secret. And to escape that fear, he surrounded himself by things he loved. Mainly his creatures, of course.

He could only half concentrate on what he was writing though. He was distracted by his thoughts. Had he really made the right decision to join Grindelwald? He wouldn't have gotten through the fire if he wouldn't have thought that what Grindelwald did was right, but right this instance, he had huge doubts. He wondered if Theseus would be mad at him. He was his brother, and he was an _Auror_. If he met him now, Theseus would have to arrest him, wouldn't he? Newt hadn't done anything yet, and he didn't really plan to. He didn't want a war after all, and Newt was pretty sure that all of his friends new that.  
What must Tina think? She was the first person he had really met here. Well, that had technically been Jacob, hadn't it? In how much pain he must be... First Queenie left him -just because of the stupid laws prohibiting the love of a no-maj and a witch- and then.. Newt had left them too. Maybe they were angry at him? He could imagine Theseus to be, they did have their arguments because of Newt's nature a lot. He hoped no one else knew he had gone with the dark wizard though. He was more than sure his parents wouldn't take it well in the slightest. Not that he didn't worry about his current friends who knew -because he clearly was- but... he wouldn't know what to do with his parents' disappointment and worry.

Newt sighed heavily, setting his quill down so he could lay his arms onto the table, burying his face in them. This choice he made- it was the right one, right? He wanted what was best for his creatures. For every creature. And humans -no matter if magic or not- hunted them and mistreated them, without a care in the world. He hoped to change that with his book, at least a little, but... he had seen Grindelwald's point. And in Grindelwald's world, his creatures would be protected. They'd be able to be free, and safe. Even if they were still hunted to some extent, Newt would be happy to just know it wasn't this- this _mass-murder_. If it wasn't half as bad as it was right now.  
He felt like his choice was right. The laws wouldn't change because of him. Because of his book. There needed to be done something more drastic than a _book_. Something that Newt couldn't accomplish. Even if his book _would_ help, it wouldn't change the laws. It wouldn't change the smuggler rings, the breeders that killed for the creatures' hide, or fur, or venom, or blood, or _anything_. It wasn't as bad in England than it was in America -the USA- but he couldn't stay in every country for long enough to try and change the laws. He, a single person, couldn't do that. Even if he tried.

Grindelwald wanted to change the whole _world_. A war would do that, even if it would kill hundreds, no _millions_ of people. There were far less wizards and witches than there were no-majs, and the latter had people trained for war. A lot of them. And no matter how good a wizard, bombs and bullets and knives were hard to defend against with magic. Newt _knew_ a war wouldn't be good. For no one. Not just because of the immense amount of people that would die - _innocent people_ \- but also because there was no way he would see wizard-kind succeeding. Winning. Not without some sort of weapon stronger than what no-majs had come up with.  
And if Grindelwald had something like that, he could win. He'd have much better chances at least. And even the people not with his cause -like all of Newt's friends- would first have to defend themselves against the no-majs, rather than other wizards. They'd be forced into the war against no-majs, no matter which side they were on.

Newt groaned, pressing his arms against his head. Why did all of this had to be so complicated? And have so much _murder_ in it? All he wanted was for his creatures to be safe. He didn't care for either side, he didn't want a war and he didn't want to be the one actively fighting against it either. He just wanted _peace_. But humans weren't known for that, were they? Humans just managed to hate each other without a reason. A _sensible_ reason. Newt saw no reason to hate someone else because of the colour of their skin, or who they loved. For him, it was like hating someone because they liked a different food than he did. Or their favourite colour was different than his. It just made no _sense_. _Humans_ made no sense. He wished he didn't have to be one, but then, his creatures would suffer even more than they already did.

Newt sat back up straight, running a hand through his hair. He was tired. The day had been exhausting, from going to Grindelwald to spending the whole of the rest day in his case taking care of his creatures. Maybe, maybe he had made the wrong choice. Going with Grindelwald wouldn't do any good either. But he was here, and Grindelwald knew of his power. And Newt would never in his life try and use that power against _anyone_. Even if he could stop Grindelwald and all of his followers so easily with it.  
Maybe he could try and convince Grindelwald himself that a war wouldn't be successful. Not that the man was likely to see his point, and change his way, but... Newt should know what was right and wrong, shouldn't he? Grindelwald and his case should be wrong. And being on the side of his friends should be right. But Newt felt conflicted, and he wasn't sure _why_. Nothing seemed right, but nothing seemed entirely _wrong_ either.

He stood up, and crawled onto the bed beneath his workbench. He'd just sleep all these worries away, and hope that the next day would be better. He had managed so far after all, and he had no one else he could confine in. All his friends were -where were they even? Would they be back in New York? Were they still in Paris? He didn't know. And somehow, not knowing where his friends were, _how_ they were, was the worst thing of them all. He wished he could tell them he was okay. But there was no way for him to do that.

Curling up tightly, he hugged a pillow to his chest. He should stop worrying so much, but he couldn't help it. There was so much going on, everything building up slowly, that he couldn't calm his mind enough to even think of sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter than before ? I think ?  
> Honestly who cares how long these chapters are anyways
> 
> So, Newt is worrying a whole lot about pretty much _everything_.  
> I'm pretty sure there will be a little of Grindelnewt. If not as romantic ship, there will at least be some caring about each other, because what I want to write kind of requires them to care about the well-being of the other, so yeah  
> Sorry there wasn't a chapter in so long either btw, I'll be trying to write the next chapter now so the next update can be quicker! :D
> 
> Also I think I'll be adding Chapter summaries now too, about what happened in the last chapter. As a reminder? Cus when I read fics, I tend to forget what happened, so  
> Yeah ? :'D


	9. Trust were trust is needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald needs to make sure that Newt really believes in his cause.  
> Gaining the magizoologist's trust is going to take time, but Grindelwald has enough of that to not worry about it.

Grindelwald was very interested in Newt, now that he knew about the wizard's secret. About his power. It was interesting, intriguing. And he wanted to use that power the wizard possessed for his own cause. He could stop anyone who would want to try and stop him. He could stop time for Albus Dumbledore, for everyone at MACUSA, for BMOM, for _everyone in his way_.

But for that, he needed Newt's trust.

Grindelwald was well aware that Newt didn't want a war. He was sweet, incredibly kind, and brutally honest -mostly because he was a terrible liar, as far as Grindelwald could tell. All Newt wanted was for his creatures to be safe, and Grindelwald promised him they would be, if he got to change the world how he wanted to. That was what he had to use against Newt, to make sure he would stick with his choice -not that Newt _could_ change his choice, but still. He needed to make sure the magizoologist was thinking his choice was the right choice, and had no doubt in his mind that it was right what he had picked. Even if it meant a war to change things.

He gave Newt time, after they appeared in the castle again. Let the magizoologist hide in his case, and do whatever he did. Care for his creatures, of course, and whatever else. Grindelwald really didn't care too much about what it was that Newt did in all of his free time. And he did have a lot of that, since Grindelwald couldn't actively use him just yet. Which was fine, at the moment.

Now though, Grindelwald went back to Newt's room. He was aware the man would be there, as Newt didn't tend to leave it a lot anyways. There wasn't a lot to do for the man, unless he wanted to talk with Queenie or Credence. Grindelwald didn't much mind either, confident that Newt wouldn't change either of the one's minds.

Knocking on the door, the dark wizard didn't wait for an answer before he opened the door and stepped inside.

It seemed like Newt had just left his case. His vest and coat laying on the bed, while Newt's shirt had the top buttons opened, tie loosely hanging around his neck. Sleeves unbuttoned, shirt untucked from his pants. He looked rather rumpled, his hair an even messier mess on top of his head than usual. It seemed like he either had just gotten out of bed, or had been hard at work inside of his case.

Having heard the knock, Newt had turned around to face the door, eyes widening for a moment when he saw Grindelwald, before a blush coated his cheeks, and he lowered his gaze, fiddling with his sleeves -probably trying to button them again, so he could continue getting dressed properly.  
Grindelwald didn't much care though, eyes raking over Newt's body. Without all of those layers, it was much easier taking in his bodyshape. And with the shirt not fully buttoned, he could see more of the man's freckles covering his skin.

He walked closer to Newt, taking his hands and pulling them apart, holding the man's wrists. It caused Newt to look up again, before quickly looking away, obviously flustered.  
“Was I interrupting something?”, Grindelwald asked in a hum, standing close to Newt, holding the other's arms away from his chest so he could see Newt openly.  
“N-no- well- yes- I was- I just- was getting d-dressed properly a-again.”, Newt answered, gently tugging his arms in Grindelwald's grasp. He would very much like to get dressed properly again, feeling uncomfortable under the other man's gaze, as well as flustered. He should get used to only getting dressed and undressed inside of his case, so nothing like this would happen again.

“I think this look suits you, Newton.”, Grindelwald hummed, chuckling. “In such disarray. It shows how hard you work for your creatures. Such hard work it must be.”. He did let go of Newt's wrists, after he pulled his arms down to his sides. He dragged his hands up over Newt's sides, eliciting a shiver from the smaller male.  
“What a tragedy it would be, if all of your work goes to waste.”, Grindelwald continued, unbothered by Newt's silence and inability to look at him while he talked. He was used to Newt's behaviour after all, and he could make him look at him if he wanted to. “Working so hard to save these creatures, knowing that once they roam free again, they might get hunted and killed again. Will be used by people for their own gain, without a care about the creature's well-being and life.”.

Newt swallowed heavily. He didn't need to hear this, not after all his worrying he had done the last day. He couldn't help but worry about his creatures, and he was rather sure Grindelwald could tell that Newt was listening without a disagreeing thought in his mind.  
“But I'll be changing the world for a safer place. For wizards and creatures alike. Isn't that what you want as well, Newton?”, Grindelwald asked, fingers gliding over Newt's chest and over his throat, until he could lift Newt's chin up and make him face him. “We both want for your creatures to be safe. Don't you?”, he murmured.  
Newt looked at Grindelwald when his chin was lifted, gaze going from the mismatched eyes to the thin lips making words, before he tried to look somewhat away. Just past Grindelwald, so he didn't have to look at him. Though the intense look was hard to ignore.  
“Y-yes. I want my creatures to- to be safe.”, he agreed, voice soft. It was all he wanted, and why he had joined Grindelwald. Because he promised his creatures to be safe. To live in a better world than they did right now.

“You don't sound so sure, mister Scamander.”, Grindelwald hummed, stepping just a bit closer, almost chest to chest with Newt. He could feel the heat from Newt's body radiating off of him, clearly seeing the freckles on his cheeks and nose. The conflict in his eyes.  
“No- no I- it's all I want.”, Newt shook his head as best as he could in Grindelwald's grasp -gentle as it was. He just... disagreed over a war. Over unnecessary killing -and he did think it's unnecessary.  
“But there is conflict in your heart, isn't there? You don't want anyone to be killed. Even if it is for the greater good.”, Grindelwald said, fully knowing he was right. Newt was easy to read, how he tensed slightly at the words and their truth. Knowing it was the opposite of what Grindelwald wanted.

“I- I don't see how- how it would help. Killing, I- mean. There's- wizards- we're- there's far more m-muggles- no-majs, than there's of us. I just- we'd- you'd never- win. I just- I can't see it...”, Newt admitted, voice uncertain. He knew saying this may not be the best choice, but what else could he do? Grindelwald could tell something made him uncertain, and this was it, basically.  
“You have to trust me, Newton. I plan carefully. I don't rush. We will succeed, and you can help. If anyone tries to use creatures against us, you know how to handle them. No creature is dangerous if left alone, isn't it?”, Grindelwald chuckled lightly, moving the hand on Newt's chin to the back of his neck, holding it gently, fingers feeling the soft hair.  
“You can save those creatures from the violence and threat of the people that want to use them. You're good with words, once you feel confident enough. There doesn't need to be a war, if we're careful. And we will be.”, he continued. Of course he didn't care if there was a war. Or if any creature was hurt or killed in the process. But he knew what to say to Newt to make him believe him. To let Newt know he picked the right side to be on.

“You... you w-want- you want to use my- the place- the- the clocks. No?”, Newt said then, looking at Grindelwald for a few seconds. He was so sure of it, that Grindelwald would want to use the control over time Newt had for his plans. To kill whoever was in his way, to be the only one able to move and do as he pleased. It scared him, that Grindelwald could find a way to force him to do as he wanted to.  
Grindelwald hummed, moving his hand to glide through and over Newt's hair, before he gently caressed his cheek, smiling lightly.  
“I wouldn't dream of it, dearest Newton. You trust me with your secret, and thus, I won't abuse that knowledge.”, he answered, chuckling lightly as he let his fingertips glide over Newt's rather soft skin back to his chin, lifting the yet again lowered gaze once more. He leaned in closer to Newt, lips hovering over Newt's, feeling the other's breath against his own.  
“I would never force you into anything, Newton. You joined my cause of your own accord. And if you want to use your knowledge and power for it, you will do so of your own accord.”, Grindelwald murmured, lips almost brushing against Newt's as he spoke. It caused a bright red blush to appear on Newt's cheeks, his eyes flicking around nervously, flustered.

Grindelwald stayed so close for a few seconds, before he pulled back again, taking a step backwards away from Newt, and stopped touching him. A shuddery breath left Newt, and some of the tension left his shoulders, massively relieved that Grindelwald had backed away from him again.  
“Don't be shy to visit me again, dearest Newton. I enjoy your company.”, Grindelwald said with a charming smile, watching the magizoologist. Lying to him was easy, spinning clever words into something that would wrap around Newt like a safe blanket.

All Newt gave as answer was a small nod, as his gaze was on the ground, fingers fiddling with each other. He was more than glad when Grindelwald finally left his room, the door shutting quietly behind the dark wizard.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee  
> I think I'ma make a proper Grindelnewt now  
> Because here is an opportunity now to really start a ship so let's do eeettt  
> I do love me some Grindelnewt  
> I'm very interested in how this will go tbh :'D


	10. Friends til the end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt feels weirdly flustered having been so close to Grindelwald, but writes it off as being touch-starved.  
> Talking with Queenie doesn't help ease his worries.  
> And then Newt offers Credence his help - _finally_.

Newt's heart was pounding in his ears, barely able to hear the door closing behind Grindelwald. His cheeks still warm with a deep blush, coloring even the tips of his ears red. Having Grindelwald so close, so close he could kiss him with a wrong movement, had flustered him more than he would've imagined. His heart was beating fast against his chest, blood rushing through his ears so loudly he felt like he stood next to a raging river.

He couldn't move for a few minutes, until he felt calm again, and could get back to dressing himself properly. Why did he feel so flustered when Grindelwald was near him? Why hadn't Grindelwald's touches repulsed him, wanting to get away? Instead he found he had rather liked the gentle and almost caring touches, how soft Grindelwald's skin really was. And for a split-second, he had had the thought of closing the impossibly small space between their lips.

Blushing furiously, Newt shook his head strongly, trying to get rid of these thoughts. He definitely _wasn't_ attracted to the dark wizard. He just couldn't be. Even if Grindelwald's features were quite handsome, and his hair looked incredibly soft to touch, and those mismatched eyes with their intense gaze were always trying to pull Newt in.  
He bit his lip harshly, chewing on it as he pulled on his coat again. He was sure he was just getting touch-starved. He was aware that humans _needed_ human contact to survive, and that if they were deprived of it for long enough, they could get desperate. He was sure he was just touch-starved, which was why he enjoyed Grindelwald's touches, why they had send pleasant tingles down his spine.

Grabbing his case, and making sure it was sufficiently closed, Newt left his room and made his way down the numerous halls. He would go visit Queenie, and maybe Credence -he knew the boy was as touch-starved as could be. Maybe just distracting himself and have some genuinely friendly touches would help him calm down and forget what had happened. Especially with Newt's state of undress he had been in, making him blush again just thinking about it. How improper he had been! Though Grindelwald had seemed to enjoy seeing him like that.  
Shaking his head again, Newt willed his blush to disappear again. He was here to save creatures from humans, and not get a stupid crush on the darkest wizard of their time. He could just imagine Theseus rage if he knew, that Newt might have a crush on the dark lord. Oh Mercy Lewis, better not think about his brother and his friends right now.

Arriving at one of the numerous living rooms, Newt peeked inside. He found Queenie most often here, and he had already derailed his thoughts from what had happened earlier to worry about his friends and brother, and over Queenie as well.

Seeing her inside, he smiled lightly and entered, walking towards his friend. Queenie always looked so... gloomy, here. Dressed in such dark colours, with barely a smile to be found anymore. It scared Newt, how much she had changed. He missed his old bubbly friend, seducing people left and right to get her way. He was glad she wasn't that cold towards him, at the very least.

Queenie turned to look at him with a sort of sad smile, hearing his thoughts easily.  
“I'm sorry sweetie. Things are just hard, you know?”, she said, and Newt nodded lightly, walking towards her. Everything is confusing, and complicated, and hard. It gets overwhelming, especially the worry, the _guilt_ \- and he finds himself in Queenie's arms, her gentle embrace.  
“I worry too. Teenie is probably worrying herself into her grave about me.”, she said softly, and Newt can't do anything but hold onto her, glad for her gentle touch, feeling himself relax against her. He truly just was touch-starved, he was sure.

“Jacob must worry too.”, he murmured. He knows the man, he's brave, and incredibly in love with Queenie. And seeing her leave like that, it must have hurt so much. He couldn't imagine how it must have been like.  
“I know.”, Queenie's voice was quiet, a touch sad. “I love him so much. But as it is, we can't be together. Grindelwald will change that. He'll make us able to love freely.”.  
Newt shook his head lightly. He didn't believe so. He found himself conflicted in what he should believe, if he was honest. Because what guaranteed that Grindelwald held true to his word? Who said that he wouldn't be just like it was right now, or _worse,_ for his creatures? Why would he allow Queenie to love a no-maj freely, if he wanted to kill them, enslave them, use them?  
“You just have to believe, Newt. It's going to go well. The world will change, for the better. We'll be happy. All of us. Even if Teenie, and Jacob, and your brother, can't see that right now.”, Queenie held Newt a bit tighter, and he felt like she was trying to convince herself of her words. He wanted to believe that too, because he was sure if he were faced with the blue fire right now, he wouldn't be able to pass it.

“It's okay, Newt darling. It's going to be okay.”.

They stand together in silence for a few minutes, before Newt pulls back from Queenie's hug, smiling uncertainly at her. The hug had helped, very much so. He felt a little better, even if he still worried about a lot of things. He could tell Queenie didn't see it like he did, though.  
“Thank you.”, he said softly, feeling more relaxed than previously. Queenie smiled softly back at him, nodding lightly, and staying quiet. Since Newt got here, he minded less and less when Queenie read his mind. Talking was just unusually hard for him here, even to her.  
“Of course, sweetie.”, she replied with a soft and kind smile. Newt felt ready to leave again, and maybe he could seek out Credence. Maybe talking with him about what he planned and wanted was a good thing to distract him as well. If he was already here, maybe he could help Credence.

So he left the room, case in hand, and went to search for the boy. He was still worried for him, for his uncontrolled magic. He didn't believe Grindelwald would teach the boy magic. What he wanted, was the raw and uncontrolled power that was curled up tightly inside of Credence, lashing out at any strong emotion. The wand was only to help guide that anger to a target, instead of wildly at anything around him.  
Maybe Newt could help him. If Credence stayed like this, he was sure that Credence would be hurt in the process. He may not be suppressing his magic any more, but it wouldn't help him get the obscurus under control, or even away. Newt hoped that, if Credence learned to use magic properly, the obscurus would die down. Or at least got weak enough that it wasn't a destructive force hiding within a human body anymore, but just another part of Credence.

He managed to find Credence rather quickly, thankfully. Newt hated having to search through Nurmengard, because it was so _big_ , and there were either too many people or too little. He was really glad that Credence, Queenie, and he himself usually all stuck to the same places. Unless Newt went to explore at the very least, though he didn't to that a whole lot.

Credence was looking out of a window again, looking at the snowy mountains outside. None of them knew where they really were, and if what they saw outside was even real. It didn't matter too much, Newt supposed, as they weren't allowed to leave anyways.  
“Credence.”, he smiled lightly as he saw the other -a young man, he knew, though he was so much like a boy still. His voice caused the mentioned male to turn around -maybe a little surprised, or startled- but he smiled shyly upon seeing Newt. It was good to see him, a friendly face.  
“Mister Scamander.”, Credence replied, watching as Newt walked over to him. He was gaining confidence slowly, and even though due to Grindelwald's influence he got rather cold sometimes, he just couldn't help but feel warm with Newt around.  
“Please, Newt is- is enough.”, Newt countered, gaze lowering onto the ground for a moment, before he tried to look at Credence again. He just couldn't help but look around the room though, never comfortable to look at someone for too long. Thankfully, Credence didn't hold eye contact unless necessary for long either.

“Y-yes. Newt.”, Credence nodded lightly, a little flustered. Newt's kindness was always managing to make him feel strange. Warm, and flustered, and like he mattered. He didn't think he did -he had no clue what his real name entailed, who his family was. Grindelwald hadn't told him yet, and Credence was reluctant to hear about another family that didn't want him.  
“How- how are you?”, Newt asked. Credence did seem a lot better than how he had been in New York. He wasn't as underweight anymore, had a more healthy skin-colour. He didn't hunch over so much anymore, didn't try to make himself as small as he could. It was nice to see him come out of his shell.  
“I'm... I'm arlight. Th-thank you.”, Credence replied, fiddling with his fingers. He would love to hold his wand in his hands again, feel the subtle weight of it, and how his magic reacted to it. He had no clue how wands were made, or picked, but he was happy to have one.

“Did you- has- anyone taught you about- magic, yet?”, Newt asked then, glancing at Credence through his hair, seeing the other male's eyes shift around as nervously as Newt's tended to. He knew he wouldn't be a great teacher, but he would try his hardest to teach Credence whatever he could.  
“N-no. Not yet.”, Credence replied, voice a little quiet. Newt knew he had looked forward to learning, to be a wizard. All of Grindelwald's empty promises coming true. Newt felt terrible for the other to never getting anywhere closer as it seemed.  
“Maybe- maybe I... I could- try to- I mean- I'm not a great teacher or anything, but- maybe- I could... help?”, Newt looked properly at Credence, smiling lightly, a little nervous. He had no clue how to teach someone magic, but he was sure Queenie would be able to help him help Credence. At least he hoped so

Credence eyes lit up at the suggestion, his hands clenching his vest as he looked at Newt with wide eyes. As if he couldn't believe what Newt had said. And if Newt were to guess, Credence really didn't believe it.  
“I- I mean- I wouldn't be great or anything- since I'm no teacher, but, maybe, at least, I mean- maybe?”, Newt shrugged a little, somewhat helpless. He just wanted to offer to help Credence, wanting him to be safer than he really was. And he wasn't too sure if he was succeeding with this or not.  
“I- yes- yes! That'd- that'd be amazing! Thank you, mis- Newt. Thank you.”, Credence agreed, nodding, smiling. He seemed excited, even. Newt was going to try and teach him magic! Spells and charms, so he could be a real wizard. He couldn't imagine anything better, than the kind magizoologist to teach him all he could and all he wanted to.

Newt smiled, tense shoulders relaxing. Credence wanted him to teach him. He was really glad for that, that Credence trusted him and wanted him to help. Or at least try and help.  
“I could- maybe- you could help me with- with my creatures as well?”, Newt dared suggest, looking up at Credence again, before lowering his gaze and just glancing at him through the hair hanging in his face. “They're- they're very friendly, if- as long as- you treat them right. They're not dangerous! Not at all. You just- have to treat them right. With- respect, and knowledge. And- and there's no reason to fear them. They're not dangerous.”.  
Credence nodded, eyes still wide. Newt's offer seemed more than just generous to him, and he couldn't imagine anything more amazing than getting to help Newt and learning about the magical world he was taught to hate and be afraid of. He hadn't seen much of magic yet, how wizards and witches lived, but he wanted to know, to learn. And that much was obvious to Newt.

Newt smiled, relieved, and nodded. “I'll- I'll come get you once- once I can introduce you to- well- my creatures. And- and I'll start to- well try- to- to teach you soon, too. Once I- well- you know. Know where to- start, exactly, and- uhm- how to- how to teach. And help.”.  
He looked forward to it, though. To having Credence help him, show him the magical world a little more. To be able to teach him about what magic really was, and that it wasn't a bad thing, and wasn't meant to destroy -even if things like the Unforgivable Curses existed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to god I don't know what happened  
> But Credence butted his head in and I got another new idea because of him   
> AND THIS FIC WILL BE MUCH MORE THAN I WANTED IT TO BE  
> But I am very excited because!! It seems very cool what I have in mind, and I hope all of you will be just as excited <3
> 
> Also this is one of the longest chapters isn't it?


	11. How to teach?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt starts teaching Credence magic, and thinks a little about Obscuri.

Newt gathered books. He had no clue about teaching, how any of it went, but it was a lovely distraction from these confusing and conflicting feelings in his chest about Grindelwald. So, gathering all the books he could from a rather large library Nurmengard sported, and skimming them over for help to how to teach someone magic. He gathered, that it would be mostly try and error on his part.

He did take a day or two to prepare, though. He wouldn't need to wind up time again for the rest of the week, and probably a few more days too, so he didn't bother himself with wondering about if he needed to go to Grindelwald again for it or not. He knew that if he taught Credence magic, his Obscurus might get weaker, and thus the weapon Grindelwald had wanted would be gone. But, Newt didn't much care. He _did_ genuinely want to help Credence after all, and as long as Grindelwald didn't force either of them to do anything, they'd be fine.

So when he went back to Credence, finding him where he usually was, he was excited and nervous both at once. His creatures would come another day, once Newt knew how Credence handled magic and his Obscurus. As much as he trusted the young man, he didn't want any accidents to happen, if he was honest.

“Credence!”, he smiled when he found the other, and Credence turned to look at him, smiling lightly in return.   
“We'll start teaching you today- or- well, if you want to, at least, that is.”, Newt said, looking away. He did want to start today, but he also didn't want to force Credence if he had changed his mind, or didn't want _Newt_ to teach him.  
“Y-yes. That'd be lovely.”, Credence replied with a light smile and nodded.

Not soon after, the two of them had their wands in hand, and Newt had a few books for first-years in school. Credence could read them on his own time, hopefully.  
“I highly doubt you were there to- have- when you- got the wand?”, Newt said, looking at the wand Credence held. It was nothing spectacular, and Newt doubted Grindelwald had taken Credence with him to search for a wand.  
“N-no. Grindelwald just... gave it to me.”, Credence replied, shaking his head lightly. “Is- is that bad?”, he asked then, worried. He had no knowledge about anything magical, and it hurt Newt how he had to be the one to teach him all of it, instead of a parental figure, or a proper teacher.  
“No, no it... well, I suppose- no. Not- a lot. You see, the wand chooses the wizard, or- well- that's how it is in England.”, Newt replied, shrugging lightly. He had no clue how it would be anywhere else in the world, though he highly doubted it would be very different in other parts.  
“So this wand might... not like me?”, Credence asked, looking at the wand in his hand. It had worked to direct his Obscurus, but... he wasn't too sure if it would work with his magic as well.  
“I don't know. Let's try some spells?”, Newt tried to smile reassuringly, though that didn't work out too well. He was rather unsure about all of this as well, after all. So instead, Newt started to show Credence how to move his wand in general -telling him he could make the movements as small or big as he wanted to as well- and what spell they were doing, and the incantation for it.

Not very surprisingly, the wand hadn't really picked Credence, and it wasn't that keen on letting him do any sort of magic. Which almost made Credence give up on the whole affair, that he couldn't be taught and was useless indeed -but Newt was quick to reassure him. He _did_ manage to do magic after all, even if his lumos was really small and weak, and trying to levitate things barely made them lift up before falling again.  
“You just need your own wand, and to stop being so against what and who you are.”, Newt said softly, feeling more comfortable after a few hours being around Credence and talking a lot more with him than before.  
Credence nodded lightly, looking down at his wand almost sadly. He did want to do magic, but... life had been more than hard on him. Newt couldn't imagine how his life must have been.

“I promise, once you get better at magic, you don't have to worry about your Obscurus any more.”, Newt spoke softly. He had managed to extract the Obscurus of an Obscurial before, though back then it had been already close to the edge of the poor girl, and the Obscurus had been so strong- he shouldn't worry about it. If Credence's Obscurus was weak enough, he was sure he could part it from him without any lasting damage. Yes the Obscurus was the repressed part of Credence's magic, but if he _didn't_ repress it, then it would hopefully be almost like a separate entity.

Ending their session there, Newt decided he'd study the Obscurus just like he had wanted to when he had brought it into his case. Maybe it would give him an insight on how to make sure it would be properly safe for Credence to try and separate his Obscurus for him. And if nothing else, maybe he would just be able to understand it better. Credence was still alive, even though he was well over ten years old, and should've died already. That control over it must be not only a sign of how strong he is. Maybe, somehow, there was untainted parts of magic in him that had managed to get a reaction out of the wand even though it hadn't chosen him.

All he could do was hope, if he was honest. Newt didn't know the slightest bit about Obscuri and how they worked like, what they did. He only knew that they were “useless” without a host. He still shuddered when he thought about that interrogation with Graves -no, Grindelwald. Of course he would've been interested in the use of an Obscurus, and think it useless without the host. It was still scary to him, thinking about it. But Credence was extremely powerful, he could still remember the day in the subway, and all the chaos he had caused before that. It terrified Newt, and he had no idea how Credence could control that.

He was rather sure that of he had that amount of power coursing through him, hidden just beneath his skin, he wouldn't be able to hold it in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, I know, sorry friends  
> But you will realize why I stopped where I did in the future, trust me ;)
> 
> Anyways  
> I also stopped the chapter there because I didn't want to have too many time skips in one chapter, but I feel it's necessary to skip around in time some now, because nothing too interesting will happen otherwise :'D
> 
> In the meantime, if you want some Grindelnewt, I wrote a new 3k word oneshot with Grindelnewt!  
> Mostly just the first movie the interrogation scene and the end altered, but hey, better than nothing! I don't see a lot of genuine Grindelnewt around, but that is very much genuine without any curses or charms or manipulating. Just some dark-ish Newt :)


	12. Asking for help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt asks Grindelwald to get Credence a wand that actually picks the Obscurial.

Newt continued teaching Credence magic over the next few days, even though it was rather hard without a proper wand that had accepted Credence. He wasn't sure if he could get Credence another one, and this one at least didn't outright _reject_ him. So at least he had _something_ to train and practice with, even if it wasn't ideal. He did still seem rather hesitant and putting himself down, but Newt was there the whole way to help him and calm him if anything upset him. There had nearly been an incident with Credence's Obscurus, though they luckily avoided that by the skin of their hair.

It would soon be time again to go wind up the clocks, so Newt gathered up his courage and made his way back to Grindelwald. He had somewhat tried to avoid him, though he never really had interacted with him before either. He just... had tried to stay away from Grindelwald more than he usually did, so he didn't have to think about his feelings. Now, he was forced to meet with him again, because of his time reason and because he really wanted Credence to get a wand that picked him. Even though he knew Grindelwald didn't want Credence to properly learn magic, Newt was determined to teach Credence.

When Newt went to Grindelwald, he was surprised when he didn't find him in his office. Not knowing where else to search, Newt stood a little helpless in the door -having left his case safe in his room. He _could_ go searching through Nurmengard to find Grindelwald, but where would he find him? Or begin to search? Nurmengard was huge, and unlike Newt and his friends, he probably could be anywhere, unlike them who stayed roughly in the same places.

So, Newt decided he'd wait for a while, before he'd just come back later. He was just unlucky that for once, Grindelwald wasn't immediately there when he needed to see him. So he lingered, fidgeting as he stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do. This was... unfortunate. He had no clue when Grindelwald might come back, or if it'd be alright if he was here immediately either.   
Newt couldn't let himself linger any more than the few minutes he already had, and pretty much fled the room. Turning on his heel and quickly leaving the room, he squeaked when he walked right into someone, face flushing a deep red quickly.

“I- I uhm- so-sorry- I- just- uhm-”, he stuttered, not even daring to raise his gaze to see who was there, who he had run into. He just felt terribly embarrassed, because he hadn't looked where he was going, just trying to get out and away before Grindelwald came back.

He was stopped from his stuttery try to apologize by a finger on his lips, making his blush deepen with his ears turning red. The other person chuckled lightly, and Newt finally raised his gaze, still managing to be surprised when he was met with Grindelwald. Of course it would be him, who else would want to come here while Grindelwald was away, and then lay a finger onto his lips?  
“It's quite alright, darling.”, Grindelwald hummed, his finger lingering for a moment, before he moved his hand to gently caress Newt's cheek with his knuckles.  
“Where you waiting for me? I could get used to such a pretty face awaiting my return whenever I leave.”, he lowered his voice into a murmur, and Newt was pretty sure he resembled a tomato at this point he must be so red. He was still so close to him, chest to chest with Grindelwald, and he could pretty much feel the other man breathe.

“W-well- I- uhm-”, Newt wasn't normally such a stuttering mess, was he? He just felt so flustered, and he didn't know what to do or say, and staying so close to Grindelwald certainly didn't help him one bit. He was incredibly relieved when Grindelwald stepped away and walked into the room, giving him room to breathe. At a motion of Grindelwald's hand though, Newt hurried to step back into the room, the door closing behind him quietly.  
“It's quite alright, dear Newton. Is it time again?”, Grindewald walked over to his desk, leaning against it, watching Newt with an intense, but also curious gaze. Newt couldn't hold eye contact, even if he felt less threatened by this than the looks he had on him before.  
“Well, yes- but- but also something else.”, Newt answered, fiddling with his fingers, nervous. He didn't want to ask about a wand for Credence, but he also _did_ want to ask for one, because he wanted Credence to have a wand that was for _him_ , and not just some random wand that happened to not immediately reject him.

“Mh?”, Grindelwald's gaze never wavered from Newt, no matter how much the magizoologist shifted and fidgeted, no matter how much his eyes flit around the room. He was clearly thinking, or trying to get the words out he was afraid to say. How curious.  
“Well... I- I started t-teaching Credence... about- well... magic?..”, Newt looked up at Grindelwald, clearly nervous and afraid of the man's reaction. There was none, so far, so Newt took that as a sign to continue talking.  
“And- and- well- the wand you've given him- it-... it didn't choose him, so- I just- I want him to properly learn, and- and he can't really without a proper wand, so I'd like you to- to go with him and get one that picks him.”. Newt was afraid to look up at Grindelwald again. He didn't know how the man would react -he hadn't wanted Credence to learn magic, but now here Newt was, teaching him, and maybe Grindelwald knew that that could possibly make the Obscurus weaker and smaller, and maybe he'd punish him now or hurt him or-

Newt was startled out of his thoughts when he was pulled flush against Grindelwald again, one of his arms wrapped around Newt's middle and his hand on the small of his back. His other hand gently pushed Newt's bangs out of his face, before gently tilting his head up to make him look at him. It caused Newt to blush a deep red again.  
“You're teaching Credence magic.”, Grindelwald repeated, earning a small shy nod from Newt in confirmation. “And you want him to have a wand, so he can learn properly.”.  
“Y-yes.”, Newt nodded again. His eyes were still trying to look anywhere but at Grindelwald's face, still afraid of all the things Grindelwald could do to him because of what he wanted from him.  
“Hm.”, Grindelwald hummed in thought, tracing the shapes of Newt's face with the tips of his fingers, touch feather-light. He didn't seem angry at Newt, only curious. Which, in turn, made Newt all the more confused, and it didn't manage to calm him down any either.

“You're not planning on sabotaging me and my plans, are you?”, Grindelwald asked, his fingers digging into Newt's back -even through the layers of clothes.  
“N-no! I wouldn't be- standing here, if- if I didn't want you to win..”, Newt replied, gaze settled on Grindelwald's chest now, right in front of him. He wasn't sure if he wanted Grindelwald to win or not, because there were _so many_ problems with Grindelwald's plans. But the man was so confident in what he was thinking, and there had been others like Grindelwald before and they _made it work_. They had had a _world war_ because of it though, and the one's like Grindelwald _lost_. It didn't really help Newt calm down.  
“So why do you want Credence to learn magic?”, Grindelwald asked, his grip relaxing slightly on Newt's back, though he was grabbing his chin and forcing Newt to look up at him, his grip slightly uncomfortable, but at least not painful.  
“I- I just- I want to help Credence. He- he could do so much more if he just learned.”, Newt replied, voice wavering, clearly uncomfortable having to look at Grindelwald. He tried to look away, but Grindelwald's face always stayed in his vision in some way or another.

Grindelwald seemed thoughtful for a while, just being quiet as he looked at Newt, and held him close against himself. Newt felt rather uncomfortable, feeling the heat radiating off of Grindelwald's body. Feeling the man breathing, unconsciously syncing up his own breathing to match it. Newt couldn't take it, his nerves were frazzled from just being so close to Grindelwald.

“Alright.”, Grindelwald finally said, and Newt could've fainted. _Alright_. Just like that. Just like that, Grindelwald allowed Credence to get a wand, go with him to go and get a wand that would actually pick him, and basically allowed Newt to continue teaching Credence magic and how to use it.  
Newt couldn't help but blink dumbly at Grindelwald, for once not really minding that he held eye-contact, because he was just dumbfounded right now.  
“Huh.”, was all he managed as reply, staring at Grindelwald as if he just revealed the meaning of life to him like it was nothing. And to Grindelwald, this probably _was_ nothing, because weren't they all just pawns in his game?

Grindelwald couldn't hold off the bubble of laughter seeing Newt like that, like a child that had been told the most obvious answer to a simple question. It was delightful, and Newt looked adorably dumb like this. He _almost_ wanted to keep Newt looking like that, just curse him and have him be his dumb oblivious doll. But no, Newt's mind was far too precious for that. At least, for now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure it'll just take one more chapter until the one where I can write what I'd like to  
> And I am very excited for that! Because I love it!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you liked this! Do tell me what you thought <3


	13. A wand for an Obscurial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Credence go to get the latter a wand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC wandmaker ahead

Newt was shocked once more when he was told that _he_ was going with Credence to get a wand. Not that he wasn't delighted to finally get out of Nurmengard and get some fresh air again, and also be able to be around some other people -not that he was happy to be around people in the first place, but in the castle he felt rather uncomfortable no matter what. He had no clue what kind of wand Credence might get, but he was excited.

One of Grindelwald's closer followers apparated them. Neither Newt nor Credence had any idea to where they might be -it was already late, there weren't many people outside, so they couldn't guess from an accent either. Newt supposed it didn't really matter, he wasn't too knowledgable about where wandmakers were located, nor how many there really were. Though he would guess that it must be someone Grindelwald would kind of trust? At least, they must be in a place where no one would recognize Newt, or Credence, no matter how late it already was. So, most likely not America, and not England either.

The shop they entered didn't seem to be much of anything from the outside, shelves filled with books lining the walls when they entered. Going down the hallway, they entered the main room, filled to the ceiling with boxes filled with -presumably- wands. There didn't seem to be much of tidiness or organisation, though both Newt and Credence would be careful not to touch anything that wasn't meant for them.  
There was a desk acting as a counter as well, with paper and twine laying on it, measurement-tape, quills and other knick-knacks. All in all, everything looked to be a downright mess, though Newt was rather sure there was logic to this madness. He knew how much of a mess the shed in his case looked like to other people after all.

“Oh! Oh guests, how lovely.”, a voice came, very surely female, and not soon after, a woman came rushing from the backrooms. The woman had almost sickly pale skin, her eyes a little sunken and dark. A fitting blush was covering her cheeks, accenting her brown eyes. Her hair a dark red, almost brown even, a curly mess atop her head. It would've reached well past her shoulders if let down, though it was kept in place by a few pins. She wore a dark brown dress, with a certain pattern on it neither man could make out in the rather dim light.

“Would you like a cup of tea? Coffee? Oh no, you're looking for a wand, aren't you? Ah yes, of course, someone was meant to come today.”, she hummed and nodded to herself, walking over to the two men in a brisk pace, circling them before standing in front of them.  
“So, which of you will get a wand?”, she asked, looking like she was trying to see the answer without having to be told, head tilted and hands on her hips.  
“Well- Credence here would-”, Newt began, but was cutting himself off when the lady grabbed Credence's arm and lifted it, seeming to measure him with her eyes and hands as the measurement-tape floated over at a wave of her hand.

“Ah yes, yes of course, he did mention a younger boy, did he not? Or rather man, aren't you?”, she didn't seem to pay them much mind, already turning away and walking around the room, looking over the mountains of boxes.  
“An Obscurial, yes? I was told so at the very least. Expected a child, I did, but then again he always comes with surprises, doesn't he? My, might need a different one.”, she was almost speaking to herself, picking up a box before laying it down again, shaking her head.

Credence looked as confused and uncomfortable as Newt felt -incredibly. Newt was rather sure this woman wasn't a very widely known wandmaker, or perhaps she was a dark wizard of some kind. He wasn't entirely comfortable just standing here, though she seemed rather scattered -not evil, though, which was nice. At least a spark of comfort in this uncomfortable situation.

Suddenly she was back at their side, holding a box in hand, and out towards Credence. “Come on, give it a flick.”, she prompted, wiggling the box slightly. Credence looked uncomfortable, looking towards Newt with a quiet plead of help. This entire situation made him want to hide.  
Newt nodded lightly, looking towards the wand, which was enough prompting for Credence thankfully. He picked the wand up, and before he even really moved it, the lady took it out of his hand again and strode off, exclaiming “No no no, this won't do!”.  
Helpless, Credence looked towards Newt again, who managed a weak smile and shrug in return. “It takes time to find a wand. Don't feel bad.”, he said softly. It helped little in calming Credence down, though he nodded in return anyways.

“Uhm- escuse me- but- might you tell us your name?..”, Newt spoke up, as the wandmaker was walking around the room, searching for another box, before pulling one out finally and walking back over to them.  
“Right, of course, I forgot! Helena Lovett, pleasure making your acquaintance.”, Mrs Lovett held out her hand for the two of them to shake, which they both slowly and nor very strongly shook. She didn't seem to mind, or care, though.  
“Newt Scamander.”, Newt replied, unable to look at the other woman more than a few glances. She was a very energetic person, open, and it didn't mix well with him.  
“Credence.”, Credence replied, still not very comfortable with his real name -was it his real name? He wasn't sure, though he wanted to trust Grindelwald with what he said. He was used to Credence, though.  
“Pleasure! Now, try this one.”, Mrs Lovett replied, holding the box out towards Credence. He hesitated again, before taking the wand and giving it a swing. With nothing happening, Mrs Lovett took the wand back and put it back into the box, before rushing off again.

They went through wands and boxes, the pile of not working wands growing larger, though Mrs Lovett didn't seem discouraged. She did like a challenge, and she seemed to be thinking half of the time she was offering a wand to Credence -as if she knew it wouldn't pick him, and already thinking about another solution.

She strode up to Credence without a box, and the young man had given up hope that they'd find a wand for him. She looked at him with narrowed eyes, for what felt like hours, before she suddenly plucked a hair from Credence's head. With a surprised and slightly pained yelp from Credence, Mrs Lovett strode off again and disappeared into the backroom.  
“What...?”, Credence looked towards Newt, having no clue what had just happened, and what was going to happen. This all seemed very weird, and he wasn't sure if he would find a wand that would really want to pick him. Some of the wands he had tried had had a bad reaction to him, and he was more nervous than ever.  
“I don't know..”, Newt replied quietly. He had no clue what Mrs Lovett was doing or thinking, because she was the weirdest person he had ever met, he was sure. He made a surprised sound when the boxes Mrs Lovett hadn't put back where she had gotten them began floating and sorted themselves back into their respective places, making him really believe that there _was_ method to her madness.

They stood there for quite some time, shifting and fidgeting where they stood. Newt took to looking around the room when it seemed like Mrs Lovett wouldn't come back soon, curiosity overtaking him. It did seem like she was a skilled wandmaker, and had quite a business, seeing how many wands she had around.

When she did come back, she held a new box out towards Credence, and Newt returned back to his side. Credence still hesitated before taking the wand, and he tensed. Newt worried, watching Credence, hoping for not another bad reaction -one explosion had been enough, thank you very much.  
But he gently swung the wand in an arch, and golden sparks flew from the tip. Credence's eyes widened, as did Newt's -though his for but a mere moment- and he clapped lightly.  
“Congratulations, Credence.”, he said softly, a small smile on his lips as he looked at the other. He was incredibly glad that Credence had finally found a wand that had picked him, and would work with him.

“Eight and a half inches, a little flexible, made with hawthorn wood.”, Mrs Lovett hummed, watching with a pleased smile on her lips, hands back on her hip as she watched. “And Obscurial hair as core.”.  
Credence and Newt both looked startled at that information- Credence's hair was the core? Well, Newt hoped it wouldn't fail them, especially since he had heard, was rather sure, that hawthorn was hard to master. Well, he was sure Credence would do well regardless.  
“Thank you.”, Credence said softly, as Mrs Lovett took the wand again and put it into the box, going to her desk to wrap it up and give it back to him.  
“No no, no need to thank me sweetheart. Was a real challenge, and what do I appreciate but a good challenge?”, she chuckled, gently ushering the two of them to turn and leave again. “Now, don't come back unless you need a new one, alright darling? Good wand you have, I trust you treat it well.”.

Unable to really respond any more, the two were pushed out of the door, which closed behind them. Credence looked at Newt, who looked back at him. Newt smiled at Credence, genuinely happy that he finally got a wand. And Credence smiled back, shy and small, more than happy that Newt had managed to get him here to get him a wand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah I don't know why or how this happened but here it is  
> I'm not entirely sure about the next chapter though  
> Because I have an idea I want for the end of it, but I'm not sure what all to write else in the chapter...  
> Hm.... I think I got an idea
> 
> ANYWAYS  
> I hope you liked this!  
> And sorry for the more boring chapters? Are they boring?


	14. Not as planned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Credence bond over time spend in Newt's case, and learning magic.  
> After a few days, Newt gathers his courage to talk with Credence over trying to separate his Obscurus safely.  
> Two days later, they try.

“You're doing really well.”, Newt praised with a smile as he watched Credence. He had a much easier time doing simple spells -lumos, accio, wingardium leviosa- and soon had them pretty much mastered. Credence was amazed with himself, how easy magic really could be. They decided that for the first day, they shouldn't go past these three spells, before they'd tried some others. Newt did want to teach Credence some charms too, protego, warming and cooling charms, maybe incendio and aquamenti. But, not today. Another day, perhaps a few days. Newt didn't want to overwhelm Credence, and he didn't want to exhaust himself either. Spending so much time around someone -even if it was a friend- was draining Newt.  
“Thank you.”, Credence said, smiling softly towards Newt. He was incredibly thankful that Newt had done so much for him, getting him a wand, teaching him spells, how to do magic. He was incredibly amazed by all of it, and slowly, the fantastic things he had seen and dreamed about came closer.

“You can try to do these spells silently, or without a wand -or both of that- too, if you like. I- I'm not too sure how that works like -I'm not the best at wandless magic- but- you can still try.”, Newt said, fiddling with his fingers, unable to keep Credence's gaze. Credence felt much more comfortable and confident here in Nurmengard, not surrounded by strangers and forced into situations he didn't feel okay with. “But- but be careful. I don't want you to get hurt accidentally.”.  
Credence hummed and nodded. Grindelwald had done a lot of wandless magic, and it was impressive how easily he could do magic. He'd never forget how Grindelwald healed his hands just by touching the wounds. It was incredible, and he wondered if he would be able to do things like that as well in the future.  
“I will. Thank you.”, he replied, and he just looked so open, smiling and _happy_ , almost content, that Newt couldn't help the warm feeling in his chest. It was just so incredibly nice to see Credence more confident in himself.

“Any time. I'll- I'll be going now.”, Newt raised a hand as quiet goodbye, before going to leave. He had to go feed his creatures, and make sure they were all alright. He still had to show them to Credence, but he hadn't felt comfortable with the thought of letting him into the suitcase just yet. Credence _was_ still an Obscurial, and Newt didn't want to risk his Obscurus lashing out and hurting his creatures, or maybe even damage one of the charms all around his case. Maybe Newt could show Credence soon, though, seeing how he got a hold on his magic now, and his Obscurus had been rather calm.

Safe in his room, making sure the door was charmed so he'd be alarmed if anyone tried to enter, Newt descended into his case. The air so different from inside the castle. Filled with the smell of animals, grass, dirt. It was like back at home, with his mother's hippogriffs. He loved being in his case, the sunshine pleasant on his skin and warming him as soon as he stepped out of his shed.

By now, his murtlap had left his case, as had the fwooper and some of the other smaller creatures. Most of the creatures still in Newt's case weren't able to live on their own in the wild, and some -like the bowtruckels and Dougal- simply didn't want to leave. Newt _was_ secretly happy about their constant presence, knowing they where there, no matter what he did or where he went. As long as he had his case, they were there.

Newt quickly got to work, readying chunks of meat, plants and pellets, to feed his creatures. He spend quite some time with each of them, loving their attention and giving them his attention. He got a great deal of comfort from his creatures after all, and he couldn't imagine living without them.

A few days later, he felt ready to show Credence his case. It would be time to feed his creatures, and Newt thought it'd be a good idea to let Credence help him feed them. It'd make them more likely to trust Credence, since he'd be giving them food. And creatures were rather likely to trust someone if they fed them, and appeared non-threatingly. Speaking soothingly also helped quite a bit, or at least Newt thought so.

So, Newt went to fetch Credence, smiling softly as he saw him practising his magic again. It was just nice, to see him so concentrated and open, confident in what he was doing. He was a fast learner, and he was clearly very powerful. Though Newt wasn't sure if it was because of his Obscurus, or just his magic. He hoped for the latter, of course, but he was rather sure that Credence's magic must be rather strong as well.

“Credence.”, he spoke up, and the young wizard turned to look at Newt. He smiled seeing him, watching Newt walk over to him. Credence was much better at keeping eye-contact now, much unlike Newt. He still couldn't seem to hold his gaze on Credence's for any amount of time over a few seconds, just like he couldn't with anybody else. It was just who Newt was, how he was.  
“Hello, Newt.”, Credence greeted softly, having gotten used to using Newt's first name instead of calling him Mr Scamander. Newt was incredibly glad for that, he got really uncomfortable when he was called that. He was just Newt, that was enough.  
“I... I thought I could introduce you to my creatures today.”, Newt told Credence, smiling almost shyly, glancing at Credence before looking away again. Just past Credence, that seemed like a good idea. At least for now.  
“Really?”, Credence's eyes widened slightly, but he seemed very excited. A little scared as well -he knew he could be dangerous, any strong emotion could make him lose control over his Obscurus. But Newt trusted him, and he didn't want to make newt distrust him.

“Yes. Are you- do you have time?”, Newt glanced around the room, for a brief moment looking at Credence. He did want to show Credence his case, but he was also a little afraid to do so. He would, of course, but he wasn't good at hiding his feelings too well. He was rather sure his slight uncertainness showed through.  
“Yes! Yes. Let's go.”, Credence nodded, blushing slightly, embarrassed by how quick he had been to agree. He was excited, he wanted to see all these fantastic creatures he had heard about from Newt.

Newt nodded lightly, motioning for Credence to follow him, and led him to his room then. He wouldn't bring his case somewhere else and enter it, if he couldn't know that his case would be safe from other people, that no one would trap them, or take the case, or enter. Or anything else a wizard could possibly think of.

Credence still managed to look at awe when Newt merely stepped into his case and descended the ladder down into it. Passing by the shelves lining the high walls of his shed all around his ladder, from which he could easily reach the shelves, drawers and boxes. All of them filled with different things, and labelled. Herbs, roots, fruits, seeds, plants in general. Some other things such as paper and ink could be found as well, different potion ingredients and venoms, and other liquids necessary for all the things Newt did on an almost day to day basis.

Once finally arrived in his shed, it was in its usual state of disarray. Newt didn't mind it in the slightest, and once Credence joined his side, he seemed to have slight troubles taking everything in that surrounded him. He turned in place, looking with wide eyes, pretty much speechless. Though Newt didn't expect him to say much to anything at all for a while anyways, Credence didn't seem like the type to express his awe in words much.

“I planned to let you help me feed everyone. Sounds like a plan?”, Newt said and smiled lightly as he looked at Credence. He loved the wonder on his face, how in awe he was. The excitement of being shown such a wonderful place, something Credence had never seen before.  
“Y-yes.”, Credence replied and nodded, looking towards Newt, before lowering his gaze again. Newt grabbed chunks of meat and laid them on his workbench, so he could prepare them for his creatures. Meanwhile, he told Credence about what to expect.  
The prepared meat got into buckets, and Newt handed Credence one of them. He had taken off his coat by now, his tie was undone, and he had even taken off his vest. That, he grabbed again though, not wanting to become too cold wandering around the different habitats.

When they stepped outside, immediately noise filled the air. The habitat they entered seemed empty, and Credence could see the sheets that made the walls of the habitat. But, it looked like an immensive place they had stepped into, and not a small room. Billywigs filled the air, and giant dungbeetles rolled their balls around. Credence looked around in wonder, turning and twisting, but had to follow Newt -who was making strange calls?

“Alright, here they come.”, Newt said, standing at a habitat with wide open sandy plains, rocky formations scattered within. It was evening outside, mirrored inside of Newt's case. The sky was getting dark in this habitat, though no stars where to be seen.  
“What comes?”, Credence asked carefully, hearing the coming sounds of steps. He couldn't see anything for a while, before something approached.  
“Graphorns.”, Newt replied and smiled lightly. The animals easily came to a halt in front of the two, and Newt happily greeted them, letting them feel over his face and shoulders with their tentacle like beard.  
“The last breeding pair in existence.”, Newt informed Credence, as their young walked around the Obscurial, rubbing slightly against him. It seemed happy to be here.  
“You- you saved them?”, Credence asked, watching as Newt threw pieces of meat into the habitat, to which the youngling immediately hopped to eat enthusiastically.  
“Yes. I rescue, nurture, and protect them. All of my creatures. And I'm gently trying to educate my fellow wizards about them.”, Newt replied and nodded, already making his way to somewhere else.

He set his bucket down before ascending a few steps into another habitat, and Credence put his own besides Newt's, before following him. They entered a bamboo forest, as it appeared.  
“Titus, Fynn, Poppy, Marlow, Tom.”, Newt called out, holding his hand to his chest so Pickett could climb up on it, which he did. Of course Newt would try to get him back to his real home tree, and the other bowtruckels. Credence watched curiously.  
“Come on Pickett, you can't always stay with me.”, Newt tried, holding his hand close to the little tree, which was covered in bowtruckels. Pickett very much refused to leave Newt though, making the man sigh softly, but smile, letting Pickett climb back onto his shoulder.  
“Well then.”, he turned and walked to a nest of woven bamboo, over which another nest seemed to hang just slightly behind it. Nothing seemed to be inside of the latter, though in the bamboo nest, there were little snake like creatures, with wings, yipping as Newt approached.

“Mum's here, mum's here.”, Newt spoke softly, pulling roaches out of his pockets and feeding them to the little occamies carefully, smiling softly as he watched them snap them out of the air.  
“What- what are these?”, Credence asked softly, watching Newt. Newt seemed so comfortable here, so loose and open. It was a nice change, though Credence could guess why. This was Newt's home, his sanctuary, and all these creatures here knew him.  
“Occamy. Their eggshells are made of pure silver, which is why their nests get ransacked often.”, Newt explained. “Would you mind throwing some of those pellets in with the Mooncalfs over there?”, he requested then, standing up straight to motion to the bucket with the mentioned pellets.

Credence grabbed the bucket, still looking around in wonder as he walked over to the habitat in which it was already night, a big rock formation covered in the little mooncalfs. He smiled brightly as he brought out the pellets, watching in amazement as they floated, the little mooncalfs catching them out of the air. It was nice, just being here, taking care of Newt's creatures with him.

Together, they finished the round of feeding everyone and making sure they all were alright. Newt took care to feed the more dangerous creatures by himself -such as Rosie, his nundu- so Credence wouldn't be in danger of getting hurt. But he did tell him about them all, so he knew who was who, and what they were. What to look out for, what made them them. Credence took it all in, asking shy questions, before he warmed up a bit more. He was genuinely interested in them, and that warmed Newt's being.

Through the next few days, Newt took Credence with him into his case time and time again, getting him more used to the creatures. Credence seemed very eager to learn about them, not being afraid of them. Newt was incredibly glad to have someone share his enthusiasm with him, even if to a slightly lesser degree than he did. Some people called Newt obsessed after all, and Credence definitely wasn't. Though he was interested in magizoology, and what more could Newt ask for than that? He told Credence about his book, and let him read his notes and drafts.

On other days, Newt spend his time practising and teaching magic to Credence. He had found it easy to master his wand, even though hawthorn was known to be hard to master for someone new to magic -generally children, of course. Maybe Mrs Lovett had known Credence would be able to manage, even without knowing him. Newt had no clue.

The Obscurus was barely noticed anymore. Credence had great control over it, never lashing out with it, never having to re-direct the destructive force. It was still causing him health problems -pains and aches, muscles not willing to work and joints unwilling to move sometimes- but he was calmer and less angry most of the time.

Newt knew he had to try soon, or it might kill Credence to wait.

If he waited too long, the Obscurus may eat away at the resurfacing magic in Credence, while also making his health generally a lot worse. Newt couldn't risk that, and he hoped that he could help Credence.  
Time not spend with his creatures, or with Credence, Newt spend studying the Obscurus in his case -which Grindelwald had thankfully given him again after the whole ordeal in New York, where Grindelwald had taken the Obscurus with him after taking it out of Newt's case. Newt hoped he'd learn something, while also studying other recorded cases of Obscuri, which Grindelwald thankfully provided -usually a follower of his gave them to Newt.

Gathering up all of his courage, Newt went to Credence and explained to him what he wanted to do. Separate the Obscurus from Credence's magic, from his core, without erasing all magic within him -which would lead to Credence's death, as magic was a main component in wizard-kind, which kept them alive and healthy. And thus, the reason Newt had failed to save the girl in Sudan -he had ripped her entire magic out together with the Obscurus.  
Credence was hesitate to try, afraid he wouldn't be able to do magic again. But Newt assured him that he would be able to, if anything, he merely wouldn't be able to do magic for a few days -maximum a few weeks- in which his magic would regenerate and gather again, before Credence could use it again properly.

Newt gave Credence time to think about it. Without the Obscurus, Credence might be safe from Grindelwald -though he had no family, and no place he could go to if not staying here. No one would force him to leave though, as Credence was also fond of Grindelwald's idea for a future, and pretty much another of his followers.  
Without the Obscurus, he might not be what Grindelwald wanted, but he might still be powerful enough to help. Credence didn't want fame, to be known all around the world for what he was and had done. He'd be content just being himself.

He agreed a few days later to try and separate the Obscurus from him.

Newt was still anxious about it, but he had done all he could to study and learn for this moment. Either he'd successfully separated the Obscurus from Credence -and thus making him a normal wizard instead of an Obscurial- or he'd... end up killing Credence. The risk of failure was high, and the stakes were as well. It was about Credence's life after all, and Newt knew he might end up ending it, before Credence had the chance to learn all about the wizarding world, everything that amazed him and let wonder shine in his eyes.

Together, they went to a room Grindelwald had prepared for them -Newt had told him, of course, explaining what he wanted to do. He wouldn't have tried to “cure” Credence without Grindelwald's allowance after all. The room was warded heavily, so no matter the destruction inside it, the outside wouldn't be damaged. But, just as a precaution, the room was furthest away from everything else, and no one else should be around who could get hurt.

Newt let Credence settle on the ground, knowing it was likely he would lose consciousness during the procedure. He hadn't told Credence about the risk of him dying -he was afraid to. He didn't want to frighten Credence, to put even more pressure on himself knowing Credence was aware of how risky this was.  
As soon as Credence was settled, Newt pulled out his wand. He took a few deeps breaths, before he started.

It was similar to what had happened in Sudan. An incantation, old as time almost, though Newt had worked on the magic working on it. There was a way to let a wizard's magic “core” be visible to others -which was a very dangerous, and very illegal spell to pretty much just know existed. With it, Newt could show Credence his own Obscurus, and the magic it seemed to cloud in its middle. The harder part was to safely separate the Obscurus from Credence and his magic.  
Newt hoped the worst case wouldn't be death, but Credence being left without any magic -a muggle, basically. A squib. Not that it would be a terrible thing -much better than death, certainly- but Newt knew it would break Credence's heart if he couldn't truly be part of the wizarding world.

The Obscurus, and with it Credence, grew slightly restless. The Obscurus licked at Credence's skin, but his body didn't get lost in it. He stayed solid, as the black sand like mist spread in the room, coating the ceiling and the walls. Swirling, twisting in itself, heavy like soot covered spiderwebs. Newt would've been intimidated, scared even, if he could allow himself to. But he couldn't, he needed all of his focus and concentration on trying to safely separate the Obscurus from Credence.  
So far, it seemed to be working.

With a wide motion of his wand, Newt separated the Obscurus from Credence -who promptly collapsed, losing consciousness only, hopefully. Newt couldn't check, as the Obscurus tried to lash out at anything and everything around it. The wards kept it trapped in the room, thankfully, but Newt couldn't stop the incatation -it wasn't quite done yet, and he had to cast the spell to contain the Obscurus safely as well.

So when the Obscurus lashed out, Newt had to jump out of its way, rolling into a crouch to spring to his feet and hurry away from another wave of the mist, which crashed against the wall like an ocean way against a boulder.

Newt couldn't tell anymore where a wall was, the ceiling. Barely the ground wasn't covered in the Obscurus, which moved wildly, sounds of static, groll like thunder, sparks like a manfuctioning radio filling the air, a shrill consistent peeping noise adding the final touch to the ear-hurting experience.  
Newt couldn't apparate out of the room even once he was done with the initial incantation, and the Obscurus was too violent for him to take a moment to cast the spell on it and try to contain it. It was too big, too strong, too _powerful_ , and Newt was getting scared.

He shouldn't have tried this alone, he should have taken Grindelwald with him to make sure nothing would go wrong. It was like in the subway again, back then in New York, but in such a small limited space. Newt had barely room to dodge the attacks the Obscurus threw at him, and it was getting hard to breathe -from the exhaustion of constant movement and having to use such a huge amount of magic, and because the Obscurus seemed to fill the entire room, the air, everything in it. Newt could barely see anything anymore.

The sound of the door slamming open started him, trying to locate the sound. Eyes wide in fear -the Obscurus could escape, it could kill whoever had opened that door- and he blindly apparated to where he was sure the door should be, at the same time as the Obscurus gathered itself into a tight, dense ball -not even all of it, the room's walls and ceiling were still coated in it- and shot out at the door.

Any sound that should have escaped Newt got stuck in his throat as the Obscurus hit him straight in the chest, boring into him -maybe even through him- with soaring white hot pain spreading through his chest. He didn't have time to feel how he had been thrown back into whoever had wanted to enter the room, all strength leaving him and making him collapse like a ragdoll, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and every trace of the Obscurus suddenly gone from the room -leaving the unconscious Credence in its middle.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A WILD CLIFFHANGER APPEARED  
> I HOPE I DID GOOD  
> I want to cause some suffering here after all
> 
> I'm so sorry the most part of this chapter -Newt and Credence bonding- was so boring  
> At least I thought it incredibly boring writing it, but it was necessary, because I really didn't want to skip through time too much. Dialog-heavy sections are always a little boring though, aren't they? I didn't want spoken words at the end though, so there are none, which I hope is good!
> 
> Anyways, I am very happy about this, the longest chapter yet with almost 4k words!


	15. Fitting in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queenie joins some of the higher ranked followers for a night of poker.  
> Appears that only Abernathy is close to her beliefs.

Upon initially joining Grindelwald's side, Queenie hadn't been sure what to make of the other followers. There were always some around the castle, doing this and that. Usually it seemed like they were loitering, just relaxing, and not doing anything. She quickly gathered that that was truly what they were doing most of the time spend in the castle.  
Whoever wasn't here to relax after a mission, was gathered in rooms here and there, to work and plan on their plans. On Grindelwald's plan. Queenie was never really involved in anything though, not just yet.

When Grindewald first went to Queenie for her help, it was clearly for what only she could do – a natural Legilimens. She was to make sure to get the information they needed from people Grindelwald -or sometimes his right hand, Vinda Rosier- were meeting with. To tell if they were telling the truth, if they were hiding anything. Queenie didn't mind doing it, and she was glad she got to help in their cause. Even if some times, she wasn't too sure about what they were gathering.

It had taken her some time to spend more of her time with Newt. She had bee reluctant to be near him at first, since she could feel the conflict weighing him down a lot, and his mind was confusing a lot of the time. But when they did start spending more time together, she always lit up. Newt hadn't changed, he was still as kind and bumbling as he always had been. Enthusiastic about his creatures, kind to anyone he met, and closed off to every stranger.  
She was incredibly happy he allowed her to help him take care of his creatures now and then. Some times, she just had to get away from all the noise and thoughts, the business of Nurmengard. And inside the case, there was only Newt, and he had learned how to not think about anything when she needed some quiet. Some times even leaving her alone in the case, knowing she would never harm his creatures.

Queenie easily noticed the change in Credence once Newt started to teach him about magic, how to use it. He slowly opened up, became more confident in himself and what he did. Queenie was incredibly proud of him, and of Newt. That her friend had gone out of his usual ways to be with Credence and help him. It was nice to see the two of them together, working and learning. Sometimes just sitting together and talking -Newt telling Credence about his adventures, about his creatures. It was nice, that the two of them had each other in a sense. Credence still didn't talk a lot without getting prompted to, but it was a slow progress going upwards.

Queenie wasn't so fond of spending a lot of time with the other followers though. There were a few that were rather close to Grindelwald, or at least seemed to be. She heard their names the most often -spoken and especially thought. There weren't a lot of them, maybe five or six names she picked out the most. She _was_ surprised to hear about Abernathy though. She knew him, of course, so she was rather surprised to hear he was the one who had enabled Grindelwald to escape after they had caught him in New York. She couldn't imagine why he would want to join Grindelwald, though she supposed everyone had their own reasons.

It was Nagel who asked her to spend an evening with a group of the others. He, MacDuff, Krafft, Carrow, Rosier and Abernathy were all in the castle -a rare occurence- and they would spend the night talking and relaxing, maybe playing some poker. Queenie was slightly uncomfortable with some of the mentioned people, though agreed to join them. She did want to get used to the people she was more uncomfortable with, and learn about them and their reasons they were here. She wasn't too sure which of them knew about her status as Legilimens, but she didn't plan on telling them. She had gotten rather well at not speaking like thoughts had been spoken aloud.

Queenie could already hear the mess of thoughts from six different people in the same room, and she hoped that she wouldn't get a headache. There was a lot going on, though at least some of those minds were rather quiet. Not thinking a lot, or too much, or too confusing things. She could already pick out one mind she didn't like -the mind seemed rather hateful, if she was honest.

Entering the room, she took in the table where everyone was sitting. Chips and cards laying on the table, though the group wasn't using them at the moment. Right, Nagel had mentioned poker, hadn't he? Queenie never played it, so she had no real clue about what kind of game it was, and how to play it. Not that she thought she should, with being able to read everyone's minds.

“Good evening Goldstein.”, Rosier was the first to speak up, causing the others to quieten down. Queenie smiled softly at them, nodding.  
“Good evening to you as well.”, she replied, taking a seat at the chair that pulled itself out for her. Queenie didn't like Rosier too much. She wanted to kill every single no-maj, meaning Queenie's lovely darling as well. She knew Grindelwald didn't plan to kill all no-majs, but... this woman was clearly thinking differently.  
“I'm Queenie Goldstein. A pleasure meeting all of you.”, she introduced herself to the table then, after hearing a few confused thoughts to who she was supposed to be.

“Carrow.”, the woman next to Rosier said, cold and sharp. Queenie shivered, already knowing she was the mind she had picked out earlier. Remorseless, ruthless, someone with probably the same beliefs as Rosier. Kill all no-majs. Queenie got quickly more uncomfortable here.  
“Krafft.”, the man next to her introduced himself, looking rather gruff at the moment, though seemed like he could be a rather sweet person if he'd just try. He had a rather calm mind, and didn't seem to care about no-majs much.  
“Nagel.”, Nagel smiled lightly at Queenie. He was probably one of the youngest, and definitely one of the nicest, as far as Queenie could judge. He seemed rather introverted, not quite as comfortable here just like Queenie was.  
“MadDuff.”, his voice was cold, as was his gaze. Queenie was uncomfortable getting looked at by him, though his mind wasn't hateful as far as she could tell. Judgemental though -as was Carrow, that woman clearly disliked Queenie.  
“And Abernathy.”, Queenie concluded, smiling softly at the man next to her. He was probably one of the only ones Queenie would say she liked. He was kind, respectful, and minding of others. She could tell he didn't agree with Carrow's and Rosier's wants -the death of the no-majs- but simply didn't want to have to hide anymore.

Queenie sat straight in her seat, listening to the others picking up conversation again. They didn't seem too interested in Queenie, which was alright with her. She was content listening to them.  
“Why did you join?”, Abernathy asked Queenie then, though his voice was hushed. He didn't want to interrupt the others, and draw their attention to the two of them. Both of them came from MACUSA, though Abernathy had gained his respect through helping Grindelwald escape. Without Abernathy's help, it would've taken a lot more time.  
“Ah. I fell in love with a no-maj.”, Queenie replied softly, smiling wistfully. She loved Jacob, more than anything in the world. Enough that she wanted to change the world to allow her to be with him, and be happy with him. She wanted a family with him.  
“How sweet.”, Abernathy replied, smiling lightly. Queenie was incredibly relieved that he didn't judge her, or hate her for it, or anything else. He had always been such a thoughtful man, and Queenie was glad he was next to her.  
“Why did you?”, Queenie asked softly then, truly curious as to why Abernathy had decieded to join Grindelwald. She would've never taken the man for someone who'd do such, but she knew he wouldn't have thought she'd join Grindelwald either.  
“The world is a very unfair place. How America alone treats creatures and no-maj's children with magic. How squibs are treated. I want the Statue of Secrecy gone, and everyone treated equally.”, Abernathy replied, voice quiet and soft. It was obvious he didn't want the rest of the table to hear what he said. Queenie could understand that -none of the others seemed kind enough to want the same as Abernathy wanted.

“Let's start our night of poker, shall we?”, Krafft spoke up, and silence hung briefly over the table, before a general noise of agreement came. “Abernathy, Goldstein, you joining?”.  
“No.”, Abernathy shook his head lightly. He never participated, he wasn't good at poker, and he wasn't that liked among them either. So he'd rather abstain and watch and listen, as he usually did.  
“No thank you.”, Queenie replied, smiling softly. She didn't know the rules, but she was rather sure she'd be caught “cheating” being a Legilimens. And even if she did, she didn't think she'd be able to make any friends here.  
“Suit yourself.”, Krafft shrugged, and no one seemed bothered that the two of them didn't join in on their play of poker. They distributed the cards among themselves and the chips, and started playing. Queenie quickly found out she really wouldn't have been that great at the game -both because it seemed hard, but also because she knew what cards some of them had, and when they were bluffing.

After an hour, Queenie felt rather uncomfortable. She had quietly talked with Abernathy during the time, but she just couldn't stand to be around the others any longer. How could some of them want all of the no-majs dead? And she was pretty sure at least one was more than happy if they all got enslaved.  
Abernathy was the first to stand up, though, smiling politely at the rest of them, who glanced at him when he did. “Me and Goldstein will excuse ourselves. It's been a pleasure, as always.”, he said, looking at Queenie. She seemed confused for only a second, before standing up, smiling lightly and nodding. She said her goodbye as well -though no one seemed to really care that they were leaving- before leaving the room with Abernathy.

“Thank you so much. It's been quite uncomfortable in there.”, Queenie said, smiling thankfully at Abernathy. He either knew how uncomfortable she had been -and she was rather sure she had picked up some thoughts about it- or he simply didn't want to stay there either.  
“Of course. I'm not so fond of them either, and you seemed to need to get away from them.”, Abernathy replied, smiling at her in return. He was as kind as Queenie remembered, and she hoped she could become sort of friends with him. He was kind, and she needed someone else to go to other than Newt.

“You mentioned you wanted the Statue gone. Would you tell me more about it? I'm really curious as to why you came here. I would've never thought of you as the type for this.”, Queenie said as they walked, making Abernathy chuckle lightly, nodding.  
“Of course.”, he replied. “You know how terrible the world can be. It's amazingly unfair. How humans treat each other. I don't want Obscurials to come into existence, because humans are afraid of magic. Because children born to no-maj parents can't go to Ilvermorny. Blood status means nothing, really. If you have magic, you should be allowed to be taught. And there aren't a lot of schools for that. How many children in America alone must have died or became Obscurials because they weren't allowed to go into Ilvermorny? How many had to leave their families behind to go to another continent just to go to school?”, he sighed, shaking his head lightly.  
“I've heard about Newt Scamander, and his case of creatures. I think well of him. Magical creatures are as precious as non-magical creatures, and shouldn't be hunted into extinction. Most of them are quite lovely.”. Queenie was slightly surprised to hear Abernathy's thoughts, but she smiled, nodding. It was nice to know there were people out there who understood where Newt was coming from.

“I don't want us to have to hide away from no-majs. Even though the Statue tries to protect us, it does a bad job at it. We can't just always obliviate everyone, alter memories of what happened to claim it was something as stupid as a gas leak. There is no reason why we shouldn't allow love between a wizard, or witch, with a no-maj. Why should there be? We're all human. You should be allowed your love, since I'm rather sure you wouldn't love someone who meant evil to wizarding kind.”, Abernathy continued, and Queenie nodded along. She thought very similarly to him, and she was glad that she wasn't alone in this.  
“Of course. I'm so glad here's someone who understands. Newt is thinking like that too, I think. At least, to some extent. He wants his creatures' to be safe, from any human, and not just wizards.”, Queenie replied.

The two of them continued talking for a few more hours, exchanging their thoughts on the current laws and their flaws. There was a lot they agreed on, and disagreed on what Grindelwald and his followers wanted. But, his world he wanted to make seemed better than the current one for them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh you wanted to know what happened to Newt?  
> Well, next chapter then 💗
> 
> I really had no clue what to write for an interaction within the followers, but I managed in the end, somehow.  
> Made my own thoughts on Abernathy and his reasons, since there isn't much canon to him. As is to the other followers ^^;
> 
> I hope you liked this, and feel free to yell at me for not bringing up what happened with Newt :D


	16. Cracks and marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald appears just in time for Newt to get hit by the Obscurus and collapse against him.  
> Both Newt and Credence were alive, but unconscious, and there is nothing to do for anyone, but wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can stop screaming now 💗

Newt had told Grindelwald that he wanted to separate the Obscurus from Credence. At first, he hadn't been so sure. He had had such troubles with the Obscurial to get him in his grasp, and now Newt wanted to “cure” him. An Obscurus without a host was useless to him, but no one had ever said that an Obscurus couldn't get a _new_ host. The Obscurus Newt had in his case was from a young girl, “weak” compared to what Credence had. And Credence was unsure about himself, about what he was and could do. Giving the Obscurus to someone else seemed like a much better idea. If someone really following his cause would have an Obscurus, an adult used to magic and willing to lose parts of it...  
So he agreed to let Newt try. He gave him a secluded room and warded it heavily, adding a charm so he would know when Newt and Credence were going to enter it. Newt hadn't given him a date to when he wanted to try, so he couldn't make sure he would have time to personally be there. But with his charms, he knew when they would be in the room, and if anything should go wrong.

Newt hadn't even told him exactly how it would go, what the risks really were. He had told him about the girl in Sudan, though, at the very least. The girl had already been dying, close to being consumed by her Obscurus. When Newt had separated it from her, it had already been her entire magical core, and ripping that out of her had basically killed her -also hurting Newt quite a bit, leaving a deep crater where Newt and the girl had been.  
But Newt had told Grindelwald that separating the Obscurus from Credence shouldn't kill him, even though it would greatly weaken him for a while. And it shouldn't be as damaging as the girl's Obscurus had been for Newt, though there was of course a risk it would be.

Grindelwald trusted Newt that he knew what he was doing, and that he wouldn't get himself killed. Though he was still cautious, making sure to personally ward the room, and let Rosier and Krafft place wards on it as well -they were the two best at wards he could trust with warding the room without question. The Obscurus shouldn't be able to damage the room, and shouldn't be able to leave as long as the door was closed, and no other opening was there to slip through. And of course the charms to let Grindelwald know when someone entered the room, and he'd be able to tell if his wards were cracking. He wanted to doubt it would happen, but one could never be too sure.

On the day Credence decided to try and let Newt separate the Obscurus from him, Grindelwald wasn't in the castle. No one could inform him of what was going to happen, as he was out in Germany and causing slight havoc. He wanted to weaken every country's defences from the inside, trying to get his followers into every government. He had started in Germany, but now it was time to visit his home country again.  
When he felt someone passing through the wards into the room -even though Nurmengard was more than just far away from where he was- it was right at the beginning of a fight between him, Rosier, and a handful of his followers, against the German forces trying to stop them. He didn't think too much of it, though hoped Newt wouldn't get himself hurt.

Both he and Rosier had a portkey back to Nurmengard. They were for emergencies, since even for Grindelwald, apparating would be far too magically exhausting if they were needed back at Nurmengard immediately. He did hope he didn't have to use it though -Newt hadn't had a doubt he'd be able to handle it by himself when he asked Grindelwald for permission.

He quickly got to doubt that when he felt the immense powers straining his wards, and when he felt the first crack, there were barely any more enemies left alive to take care of. With a quick word to Rosier that she'd be in charge for the rest, he grabbed his portkey and apparated back to Nurmengard.  
He could feel his wards straining against the magical powers of the Obscurus, and he was more than sure that Newt had enormously underestimated what he was up against. More of his wards were cracking, and Grindelwald apparated just a few steps away from the door, already seeing small tendrils of the Obscurus fleeting from underneath the door, but disappearing back inside.

He threw the door open, just in time to see the Obscurus covering the entirety of the room, before it gathered in a dense point close to the middle -enabling him briefly to see Newt, panting heavily, and Credence, unconscious on the ground in the middle.  
It was a matter of seconds, the Obscurus shooting out towards Grindelwald, the door, and then Newt apparated, appearing in front of the door, barely inches away from the Obscurus, and then it hit Newt right in the middle of his chest, throwing him back against Grindelwald. It made him stumble, instinctively grabbing Newt to stop him from falling, as he laid limp against him.

The Obscurus seemed to be gone.

Grindelwald gently brought Newt to the ground, checking his breathing and pulse. He was still alive, though his clothes seemed singed and blackened where the Obscurus had hit him. Seeing that he was alive and breathing still, though, Grindelwald just hoped that he would be alright. Picking him up and cradling Newt's limp for against his chest, he couldn't help but worry.  
Grindelwald never wanted his followers -the ones loyal to him, for his cause- to be hurt. He wasn't a cold and heartless leader, if he was, why would he want to change the world to a better place? But Newt, Newt was an exception. Grindelwald knew Newt wasn't too sure about his cause and what he'd do to achieve what he wanted, but... Newt was interesting, he had a special power, his creatures and knowledge about them, and there was just something about him drawing Grindelwald to him. So seeing him hurt was hurting him too.

He apparated Grindelwald to the healers. Of course Nurmengard would have healers, more often than not followers got hurt during their missions. He wouldn't have thought Newt would've ever have to go here. At least two healers were immediately running to Grindelwald when they spotted him, taking Newt from him and fussing over him, asking questions. None of them had ever dealt with an Obscurus or Obscurial, though they knew about them and what they did.

Grindelwald would've preferred to stay with Newt and find out what had happened to him, but there was also Credence. So he apparated back to the room, gathering Credence as well. He was still alive as well, merely unconscious as it appeared. He still brought the boy to the healers as well, so they could make sure that Credence was alive and well. And hopefully, still with magic, and not suddenly entirely useless to Grindelwald. Not that he was of much use without the Obscurus either, but having him here made Newt happy.  
Why he cared about Newt's happiness was beyond him, though he supposed it couldn't be too bad to have Credence in the castle anyways. He _was_ a Dumbeldore after all, and he still very much intended to use that against Albus Dumbeldore.

“He seems to be alright, other than a small fever.”, the main healer, Todd, told Grindelwald as the man had given off Credence and was very much ready to see Newt and find out how he was.  
“He's paler than he's supposed to be, and the skin on his chest is almost grey, with black markings like victims of an Obscurus have. It's only centred on where he was hit though, so we're unsure what exactly happened to him. He's in a stable condition, his magic seems alright so far.”, the man continued, as he walked with Grindelwald to the room Newt was resting inside of.  
“Is it possible the Obscurus has managed to transfer to Newt?”, Grindelwald asked. He wasn't sure if it was possible, though he wouldn't see why it _wouldn't_ be. As far as he's been told from Newt, the Obscurus is like a parasite, like a cancer. Feeding off of the host's magic to survive, until it had consumed it all and was the only bit of magic left inside the wizard or witch. Which also usually led to the Obscurial's death, paired with no way to control the Obscurus and accept it, and try to use it and magic in some form.

“It may be possible. We can't tell at the moment, though it is likely.”, Todd replied and nodded. He was always calm, cool, calculating. Pale skin, wiry black long hair with a white streak -a skin pigment discolouration- and always proper clothing. Grindelwald quite liked the healer.  
“We'll see when he wakes up, or something happens.”, Grindelwald concluded, and Todd nodded. The healer stayed at the door when Grindelwald entered, walking over to the bed where Newt was resting. He did indeed look paler than he had when he had last seen him the day before. Breathing slightly laboured, a glisten to his skin from a thin sheet of sweat. Gently laying the back of his hand to Newt's forehead, he could feel his raised body temperature, frowning slightly. Conjuring a cloth, he easily wet it with cool water and wiped Newt's face, before laying the cloth onto his forehead.

“I'll inform you if either Newt or Credence wake up, or something changes.”, Todd said after a minute or two. “I'll leave you be for now.”. Grindelwald was glad for the healer to leave, closing the door behind himself. He did want to be alone with Newt for now.

If Newt was suddenly turned into an Obscurial, he wasn't sure what to do. He wouldn't let Newt leave, definitely. He hadn't planned to in the first place, but now it was just reinstated that he wouldn't let Newt think he could ever leave and alter his choice. But he also couldn't force him, he had a _very_ powerful Obscurus inside of him now, and it would only get stronger feeding off of Newt's magic. And Newt was a trained wizard, and quite good at a lot of charms -as evident in his case. His magic would probably get weakened now due to the Obscurus, though Grindelwald couldn't know to what extent.  
What worried him more at the moment was the discolouration of Newt's chest, and the markings. It were usual signs on victims an Obscurus had _killed_. But Newt was alive, and the markings were on his chest -where he had been hit- instead of mostly prominent on his face, like it was for victims. It didn't bode well, and Grindelwald hated to have to be patient for Newt to wake up and be able to tell them how he felt.

Right now, he had to be patient though, and could only think. Newt was an Obscurial now. And Obscurus that had grown from fear and anger, no, _rage_. With just a bit of protectiveness towards family -Credence had seemed rather protective of his younger sister. There was no telling how Newt would react waking up again, if he would still be himself, or if he would be changed in some way. He didn't want Newt to change, and he was rather sure his creatures wouldn't take it well if he changed either.

There was nothing anyone could do but wait, though.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we go, we finally know where Grindel has been, why he thought to leave Newt to his own devices would've been a good idea, and that he was indeed the one to catch a collapsing Newt right into his arms!  
> We still aren't entirely sure about their conditions, of course, but it's pretty obvious what happened and what's changed.
> 
> The question how Newt will be changed, if at all, is going to plague us all though, isn't it? :D
> 
> And of course, time is going to stop again soon, isn't it?


	17. Waking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Credence wakes up after having his Obscurus separated from him.  
> Newt is still unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry

Credence was the first to wake up again. He was weak upon waking, confused and alone. But, he was alive. He was alive, breathing, and he couldn't feel his Obscurus anymore. Normally, he felt the constant power surging through him, just beneath his skin, swirling and coiling. Angry pinpricks of power when he got too angry, when he started to fade into the Obscurus and not stay as a normal human person.  
But that was gone now. He felt... nothing, actually. He couldn't feel any sort of magic, and he felt... awfully normal. It was strange, a foreign feeling, something he didn't think he had ever felt before. He couldn't remember it, being a normal person without any magic or power.

He faded back into unconsciousness quickly, still too exhausted to keep awake for long. The next time he woke again, it was to a healer checking over him. It was a young lady, who seemed startled when she noticed he was awake, before smiling.  
“Good morning. Credence, right?”, the young lady asked. Pale skin, golden blond hair, and brown eyes, she looked like an angel to Credence. She was breathtakingly beautiful.  
“Y-yes.”, his voice was a little hoarse, and the woman -she barely looked older than him, how old was she?- conjured a glass and filled it with water, giving it to Credence with a smile.  
“I'm Johanna. You've been asleep for two days.”, she informed him then, casting a diagnostic spell on him. Credence watched curiously, seeing how elegant and beautiful her wand was. Just like her.

“Two days?..”, Credence was a little shocked hearing that. He had been unconscious for two whole days? It was now the third day in here? Oh wow.  
“How do you feel?”, Johanna asked then, kind and patient with her smile. Credence knew the spell she had cast on him must have told her how he was doing -if he was injured or something- but he appreciated being asked.  
“Weak. And... weird. Without the Obscurus.... I don't know if I can even feel any magic.”, Credence replied, gaze lowered. It felt weird admitting it, really.  
“That's alright. I can still see magic inside of you, so it'll grow stronger again. Even if you can't use any magic for a few days, it'll come back.”, Johanna reassured Credence, a gentle smile on her lips. She honestly couldn't promise it, as his magic could just as well die like a smothered flame, but he looked like he needed the reassurance. Credence did relax hearing he just needed rest and he'd be fine.

“What- what about Newt? Is he okay?”, he looked up to Johanna, worry clearly stitched to his face. Newt had tried to take the Obscurus from him -and obviously had succeeded, but what had happened to him? Was he okay?  
“We don't know just yet what exactly has happened, he is still unconscious. But he's alive and well as far as we can judge.”, she replied softly, not wanting to worry Credence any further.  
“Oh...”, Credence hoped his Obscurus hadn't hurt Newt -though it must have, if he was unconscious. At least he was still alive and okay, and surely he would wake up as well soon, if Credence had woken up.  
“Can... can I see him?”, Credence asked softly, afraid he wouldn't be allowed to. He was somewhat at fault that Newt had gotten hurt after all, and he didn't want to be kept from the chance to see his friend and apologize -even if Newt wasn't awake, he'd apologize once Newt was awake again.

“Of course. Do you think you can walk yet? Maybe you should rest some more.”, Johanna did look concerned for Credence, not wanting him to exhaust himself too much right from the start. He had just woken up after all, after days of being unconscious.  
“I- I'm fine. Thank you.”, Credence smiled weakly at Johanna, who returned his smile softly and stood up, helping Credence to stand as well. She had already let a pen write on a paper by itself and send it as origami bird away to Grindelwald, to let him know Credence had woken up and was healthy, even though weakened -status of magic unknown.

Johanna led Credence slowly to Newt's room then. Grindelwald spend a lot of time here, she knew, but she also knew he wasn't here currently. He did have a revolution to plan and direct after all, and couldn't spend all his time worrying over Newt.  
“Don't worry too much about him. He'll be fine once he wakes up, surely.”, Johanna said softly, holding the door open for Credence. “I'll be out here if you need me.”.  
“Th-thank you..”, Credence nodded lightly, entering the room and letting her close the door behind him. He would still worry about Newt no matter what Johanna said, since he was at fault for him being unconscious in the first place.

Newt laid peacefully in bed, covered in blankets. His fever was still present, though not high enough to be worrying. He definitely needed rest, no matter if unconscious or not. He'd be here longer than Credence was, surely. There was a cloth on his forehead, he was breathing through slightly parted lips. Hair an unruly mess, though it almost looked like a halo on the pillow.  
“I'm sorry.”, Credence mumbled, fidgeting where he stood at the edge of the bed. “Th-thank you- for getting the Obscurus from me. I hope you'll wake up soon, and.. and aren't hurt.”.  
There was no reply, not that Credence expected one. Newt was asleep, unconscious, sick, hurt. He wouldn't just wake from him being there and apologizing. Credence still stood there for a few more minutes, watching Newt quietly, before leaving.

Grindelwald met him outside of the room, startling Credence slightly. The taller wizard regarded Credence with a cold curiosity, making Credence shift uncomfortably.  
“It's good you've woken up again.”, Grindelwald said eventually, and Credence looked up at him shyly, a little uncertain. “Newt cares a great deal about you, so I don't want you to be hurt. It's good you're not hurt.”.  
Credence nodded lightly, slightly hunched into himself, making himself smaller than he really was. “Th-thank you, sir.”, he said quietly. “I'm- I'm sorry I got him hurt.”.  
“It's not really your fault. Newt underestimated the situation, and I wasn't there.”, Grindelwald waved Credence's concerns off, not really bothered. “Presume with your previous activities to this. Take it easy on the magic, and do tell me if you notice any changes about your magic.”.  
Credence quickly nodded, looking relieved.

He was off then, glad to be out of the healers' domain -though Johanna made sure to see him out, smiling softly at him and telling him to come back any time he doesn't feel okay. Grindelwald stayed behind, looking after Credence, before he entered Newt's room. He sat down next to his bed, on the chair that was set there since Newt had come into this room.  
He took one of Newt's hands, gently holding it, caressing it with the tips of his fingers. Enjoying to feel the calloused skin beneath his own, move the delicate fingers softly. He only watched Newt quietly as he did so, or looked at the hand he was holding.

Nothing had happened at all during the last days. Newt was just unconscious, sleeping and breathing. Sometimes he moved, made pained noises, but nothing that lasted very long. There were no signs of anything that affected his health, so they couldn't do anything but keep watching Newt. As long as nothing worse happened than an occasional whimper and whine with some movement, they would be okay, surely.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a short chapter friends, but I felt this was a good point to end it, since it was more focused on Credence this time around, and I didn't want to change the focus too much in the chapter.  
> And hey, just means more Newt action in the next one, right? :D
> 
> Also yeah sorry it took a few days, and then it's just so little, but yo. Life was hard the past days, depression and all.  
> But also, if you want to read another story, where Newt rescues Obscurials and takes care of them, I'm also writing that at the moment! Lots of first movie re-written but yeah if you want a cute OC Obscurial living with Newt then there's that.
> 
> Uhm. Yeah. I'll try and get the next chapter out quicker, and make it longer!  
> I have an idea or two for it already, so let's hope!


	18. Awake or Dreaming?

He didn't know where he was.

He didn't know _who_ he was.

He was cold. Ice-cold. He wanted to shiver, but he wasn't sure if he even could. Did he even have a body? He wasn't sure if he could feel one, all he could feel was cold. Like he _was_ coldness, ice frosted over windows, a cold gust of wind between trees, a drop frozen before dripping off.

He felt like he was everywhere, too big for what he was, too small for where he was. Pressing against solid, feeling like a liquid, not feeling anything but cold. Scattered, no thoughts, no feelings.

A tremor ran through him, he felt it in every particle of his being, shaking him to his very core, and he shivered, quivered, pressing into a single spot. Afraid, unwell, not knowing what he was, where he was, what was happening. Everything was confusing, something was wrong, he wasn't okay, he wasn't good, he just wanted to _scream_.

It ripped from his throat, piercing the silence surrounding him, and he felt the softness of the mattress, the warmth of the blankets engulfing him. He felt like he was suffocating, trapped in a too small space, his body too small to hold all of him inside of himself, and he pushed, he strained, he screamed, pained and afraid. His eyes were squeezed shut, he couldn't hear anything but the deafening silence, his own screams, the pain, it filled his head and allowed no other thought than the feeling of _wrong_.

There was a new feeling, suddenly, holding onto him, touching him, and his screams ebbed, stifling, and he could place the touches -a hand holding his, a hand in his hair, running through it. And slowly, he could hear something too, hear a hushed voice speaking to him in soothing words, gentle tones, and he relaxed, settling into his body, into the bed, body going limp again.

Everything faded from him again, blackness engulfing him, silence enveloping him, senses leaving him and the caring words fading from him.

The first thing he felt again, was soft. And warmth. He felt the heaviness on his eyelids, the darkness from behind comforting, spots of light, a gentle shine, the place he was in not dark. He could feel the heaviness of the blankets on top of him, warm and comforting. He felt the softness of the pillows his head was resting on, his hair slightly sweaty, sticking to him, pressed flat against the back of his head.

And then he felt his hand.

His hand held, another person's fingertips gliding over his skin. His fingers being moved, gentle, careful. His palm laying in another's, fingers caressing the back of his hand, gentle and careful. It was a nice touch, soothing, calm. He never wanted it to stop.  
But he wanted to know who was there. He couldn't remember, exactly. Everything was kind of fuzzy, jumbled in his mind, and thinking hurt.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, the task alone incredibly tiring. The light was blinding him, making him squint, before squeezing his eyes shut. A moment later, he opened them again. The touches on his hand were still there, still moving, and he just needed to turn his head to look.

He saw blond hair almost white, pale and smooth skin, and a pair of mismatched eyes focused on the hand of the magizoologist in his. Touches so soft, so gentle, as if he were made of glass. He gathered his will, his strength, his want, and gently squeezed the hand holding his.

The reaction was immediate. Grindelwald looked up in surprise, eyes wide as he saw Newt's half-lidded eyes looking at him. It was nice, Newt decided, to see Grindelwald with such an open expression. Not the careful neutral he always kept.

“Newt?..”.

A weak smile grazed his lips, before he was unable to keep his eyes open any longer, the smile fading again. He felt his hand getting squeezed, a dip in the bed opposite of where Grindelwald had been, before he faded from consciousness again.

Pain ripped through him, but his scream got stuck in his throat.

He was being ripped apart, skin pulled off in scraps, meat plucked from his bones, every nerve being hit until he was doused in lemon juice. It hurt, it was the worst pain he had ever felt- and then it was gone. Everything was gone, every feeling, and he was drifting, floating.

Feeling the solid of the walls, the ceiling, the floor. Wrapping around the furniture, feeling their shapes, engulfing them before retreating again. He was here, he was everywhere, he was it all and nothing. It felt strange, it was foreign, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.  
But it was him, it was he, it was it, what he was and how he was, even if he couldn't comprehend it.

He was calm, now.

He explored, he felt the easy movement like a flow of water, sweeping over everything and yet not moving anything. It was new, it was interesting, and the feeling of having to explore, adventure, study and observe was overwhelming.  
But he knew it wasn't he, it wasn't him, it wasn't it, what he was and how he was. He gathered himself, pulling back, reminded of his body, of his mind, of his feelings and thoughts.

And he was back, in bed, feeling himself, taking a deep breath. Feeling his chest expand, fill with air, and he held it in his lungs for a few seconds, before slowly breathing out again. He was here, he was alive, he was breathing. He could feel.

The Obscurus was thrumming underneath his skin, burning, hot and cold at the same time. He could feel his own magic burning bright and aggressive deep within him. He could feel it was weaker than before, the Obscurus feeding off of it, but he couldn't do anything against it. He wasn't sure anyone would be able to separate the Obscurus from him, especially not so soon. It would be incredibly unsafe for everyone involved, though the Obscurus would grow stronger the longer it was within him.  
He knew he would have to live with the Obscurus, learn how to live with it, control it, feel it, _be_ it.

But right now, he was awake, he was human, and he could tell it was late. He felt tired, and weak, and he barely even remembered the last time he had been awake. Had that been real even? He wasn't sure, everything was foggy and he felt so groggy. Thinking was slow. But he was pretty sure that he had seen Grindelwald, and he hoped he hadn't imagined that.

He kept his eyes open, even if only barely. After a good while, it got easier, and he wondered if he should call for someone. He probably _should_ , since he was rather sure he had been unconscious for a while, but he also didn't feel like he had the energy to speak.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

The door opened, and his eyes focused on the movement in the dim lights. Someone stepped inside, and before Newt could tell who it is, the lights were turned on and blinded him. He winced softly, and immediately he heard the light being switched off again.  
“Newt?”, Grindelwald asked, voice soft, and Newt opened his eyes slowly again. He smiled softly, looking towards the dark wizard -who seemed anything but dark, really. He came over to the side of the bed, sitting down on the chair next to Newt.  
“Are you here?”, he asked softly, reaching to take Newt's hand, before he hesitated, just laying his hand down onto the mattress.  
“Mhhm.”, Newt hummed softly, turning his head to look at Grindelwald. He moved his hand from underneath the blankets, closer to Grindelwald's, until he could touch the tip of his fingers. Grindelwald took the invitation for what it was, gently taking Newt's hand and holding it between both of his hands.

“You must be tired.”, Grindelwald said softly, voice gentle. He didn't dare raise it and potentially hurt Newt somehow. He didn't want him uncomfortable, or hurt, or anything. But here he was.  
“You've been unconscious for almost eight days now.”, he told him, gently squeezing Newt's hand. “You managed to separate the Obscurus from Credence. He's alright, and has been awake for a few days now. There is no clear sign of his magic yet, though. But.. the Obscurus seems to have struck you and entered you.”.  
Newt hummed lightly, not managing a nod. He kept looking at Grindelwald though, enjoying just observing him. It was interesting to him, and he seemed so concerned... it was... Newt had to admit, it was nice. To know that Grindelwald cared about him.

“You've changed a few times already, but always came back. We're not sure why or how, but...”, Grindelwald trailed off, shaking his head lightly. He seemed rather worried about Newt, which was nice. That the wizard was worrying over Newt, thinking about him, not wanting him to be hurt or sick or injured in any other way.  
“Newt?”, Grindelwald called softly, squeezing Newt's hand gently. Worry etched onto his features, making him frown and lean closer to Newt.  
“Mh...”, Newt hummed, and Grindelwald seemed to relax a little. Newt was still here, still listening, and hadn't fallen unconscious again. It had scared Grindelwald -not that he would ever admit that- when Newt had just fallen unconscious again the one time he had been awake before.

“You should eat something. I'll get you some soup.”, Grindelwald said then, standing up. He let go of Newt's hand, making sure to tuck it underneath the blanket again, before he left the room. Newt had no say in this, he was going to eat something even if it wasn't a lot.  
At least Grindelwald wasn't gone for long, before he appeared again with a mug of soup. He knew Newt wouldn't be able to eat a lot right now -with how tired and exhausted he looked- and so he just gave him a mug. It would be easier for Newt to consume his soup anyways.  
“Come on, let me help.”, Grindelwald spoke softly, the mug floating as he helped Newt sit up carefully, and rearranged the pillows with his magic to let Newt lean back into them. He gave him the mug then, though kept his hands wrapped around Newt's.  
“Can you hold the mug on your own?”, he asked, worried with how Newt didn't seem able to. The magizoologist looked at Grindelwald, and then at the mug, before managing a weak shake of his head. Grindelwald sighed softly, before smiling gently and helping Newt drink the soup.

“I'll make sure you'll be alright again soon.”, he spoke softly, and Newt wanted to believe him. He couldn't imagine getting used to an Obscurus would be quick, for both his body and his mind. But at least he had Grindelwald with him, and Queenie and Credence were also still here. He was sure they had both come to check on him already as well.

When Grindelwald didn't move the mug again to help Newt drink, he looked questioningly at him. But it didn't take long for Newt to realize, that something was wrong.

Grindelwald wasn't blinking. He wasn't breathing. And Newt couldn't feel the hints of magic in the walls anymore.

Time had stopped, and he wasn't sure if he could go wind it up again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Newt woke up, yaaay  
> Some scenes as Obscurus, yaaay  
> Time has stopped, whoooo
> 
> I dunno man, it's midnight and I'm tired. Next update might take a while, motivation and all  
> Also, I'm attempting to sew my own Occamy plush, and it might not be the best, but it's 1,5m long so that's cool


	19. Wind up time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is weak, but time has stopped, and he can't afford to panic about his creatures either.  
> At least he manages to wind up time again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry

Newt wasn't sure what to do. He felt like he'd collapse if he even thought about standing up, but there was no one else who could do it, no one else who was even aware it was happening. He could bring Grindelwald there with him probably, though he wasn't sure if Grindelwald's time would resume if he was there or if he would still have to wind up the man's clock. And even then, Grindelwald wouldn't know how to wind up the main clock either.

He felt the Obscurus beneath his skin, coiling tightly, wanting to break free. Newt was nervous, scared, feeling helpless, and it all were feelings that the Obscurus was used to. And Newt had a hard time keeping it under control, feeling the tips of his fingers disappear into black sandy smoke, his curly red hair fading into tendrils of black.  
He took quick, slightly panicked breaths. He couldn't even remember the last time he had seen his creatures. Before he had gone with Credence, to separate the Obscurus. But, it's been a week. They must be starved, must have started eating each other. He had failed them, to look after them, protect them.

He barely noticed when his form faded into the Obscurus, until all feelings were gone, and his thoughts a swirling mass that slowly calmed down. He felt restless, though, and the room was too small, suffocating him. Without magic being able to hold him in place now, the Obscurus easily slipped out of the room, raging its way through the halls, rattling windows and doors.  
It didn't destroy anything, as Newt couldn't bear the thought to cause any damage. But being able to move as fast and carefree as he could right now was freeing, able to calm him down without having to think or worry about anything.

He didn't have to worry about time, once he found back to the room he had rested in, manifesting into himself. He was glad he didn't feel any troubles with getting back from the smoke into himself, even though he could feel how much the Obscurus was straining against its confines.   
He took deep breaths, back to laying in bed. He felt less scared than before, though the worry about his creatures and what to do now was still eating away at him. He _had_ to go and try to re-wind time, there was no other way. He didn't want to live through no time moving until he was better.

Taking a few more moments to collect himself, he transported himself to the space of time, where he promptly collapsed, choking on a cry of pain.

Trying to move hurt. His whole body ached, the Obscurus not taking well to his healthy adult body. His breathing was shaky as he curled on on the ground, trying to soothe the aches in his body, willing them to lessen. He was used to pain, but this was something different entirely. Every muscle in his body burned, his bones ached, and the Obscurus pushed against his skin, trying to break free, and Newt had to keep himself together. He couldn't let the Obscurus break out here, he didn't know what would happen.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain was bearable. With deep breaths, Newt carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position, gritting his teeth. He was okay, he was fine, the pain was bearable. He kept repeating it to himself, until he managed to stand on his two feet. Even though hunched over, trembling, breaths shaky. He felt ready to collapse, and he wasn't sure if he could walk. He had to, though. He had gone through worse than this before.

He felt like a newborn taking its first steps. He was uncertain, slow, wobbly. But after a while, he managed better. He managed to keep the Obscurus at bay, even though he felt it pushing against his skin. It was a slow process, until he was certain he didn't have to worry about the Obscurus anymore for the time being, and he could almost walk normal again. He was still weak, and he had to hold onto the wall now and then whenever he was close to it. But he made it to the clock, looking up at it with worry etched on his face.  
How was he supposed to climb up there? He had to, he needed to get there. He took it like when he got hurt in his case and had to climb out for help. So he bit onto his lip and pulled himself up the side of the clock, hoping against hope he'd make it without falling.

A few close-calls did happen, but he managed to pull himself into the clock, taking deep breaths. Never had this been so exhausting, but his body was tired, and most certainly did not want to move or do anything. Now, though, he had to worry about his magic. He didn't need anything much or advanced, but he still worried.

Pushing himself back up to his feet, Newt pulled out his wand, and made his way to the corner to the little bench. He sat down on top of it, leaning against the wall, managing to get the pieces he needed close to him. He took more time to make the wind up piece than usual, just so he wouldn't make any mistakes due to the Obscurus. Once he had the little piece, he got off the bench and to the middle, waving his wand to move the pieces away, so he could put the wind up piece into it.  
Winding up the clock was as easy as ever, thankfully, and he managed without problem. He quickly heard the clock resume its ticket, and he let himself collapse back to the ground, sitting there and relaxing. His body just wanted to relax and sleep, and he would be more than happy to allow it that, though he also knew that Grindelwald would notice he was suddenly gone.

Taking a few minutes of rest, Newt pushed himself back to his feet and got out of the clock. He yelped when he lost grip on the ladder and fell, quickly casting a cushioning charm so when he landed on the ground, he didn't hurt himself.  
Slowly pushing himself back up onto his feet, he didn't waste any time and got back to Nurmengard, feeling dizzy. At least the Obscurus was calm and didn't bother him at the moment.

He collapsed again, but he was caught in two strong arms instead of the hard ground as he expected.  
“There you are.”, it was Grindelwald's voice. Of course. He was still here, had probably waited. “Time must have stopped. Quite an experience to see you there and after a blink you're gone.”, he chuckled, picking Newt up and laying him back down into the bed, tucking him in.  
“No more for the next week or so, yes? Time for you to recover. You must be rather weak, but you still managed to go.”. Grindelwald's voice was soothing, relaxing. Newt was already ready to sleep again, and listening to Grindelwald talk made it all the easier.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't like this I'm sorry  
> It's short and I don't think it's good, but I just can't figure out anything better right now
> 
> There's no big idea for the next time either, since Newt has to recover some, and figure out to live with the Obscurus, and I'm just not sure about anything right now  
> Next chapter is probably just recovery and the start of romance. maybe queenie will visit newt, or credence. or both. you know, stretch the chapter somehow
> 
> anyone want to give some ideas to write for the next time, hit me up  
> i'm running empty at the moment, i don't even know what to write for an end, really  
> i just  
> i dunno man this is why i never finish stories i dont have ideas and have no clue for endings


	20. Feelings and motivations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald cares about Newt, but he isn't sure _why_.

Grindelwald was worried. First Newt suddenly disappeared in a blink of an eye, and then he reappears again just to collapse. Thankfully Grindelwald had been ready to catch him, having stood from where he had been sitting next to the bed. He didn't blame Newt, since if time had stopped, he _had_ to go to make sure time flowed again. But it was still worrying having him collapse right back into his arms once he was with him again. He didn't seem injured though, so he hadn't hurt himself while he had been away. That, at the very least, was good.

Now Newt was back in bed, asleep again, resting. And Grindelwald was back at his side, holding his hand, gently caressing it and playing with the fingers. Lost in thoughts.

Newt would be more than useful to him now. He was an Obscurial, and was the best magizoologist he knew of. He would surely learn to control the Obscurus, and survive having it feed on his magic. And with the knowledge he had about creatures, he'd be able to tell him about all the dangerous parts of creatures that he could potentially use -and how to get them to do his bidding.   
The problem was, that Newt would never use the Obscurus to hurt anyone if he could help it, and he would never tell Grindelwald about creatures if he thought he'd use the knowledge for his fights and the eventual war.  
He needed to gain Newt's trust. But gaining his trust just to use seemed... it made Grindelwald feel strange, if he was honest. He wanted Newt's trust not just because he wanted to use his power and knowledge. He wanted to have his trust because he found himself _caring_ for the man.

Newt wasn't a particularly strong wizard. Surely he could hold his own, he could take a lot without being too bothered by it -as evident from their fight in New York- but he seemed to rely mostly on surprising his opponents, being stealthy and careful to avoid fighting. Not on strength and dangerous spells.  
It amazed Grindelwald, how strong a _person_ Newt was, no matter how strong or weak a _wizard_. It must be what was drawing Grindelwald to Newt. He was interesting, intriguing, smart and cunning. His shy and awkward nature, but the protective and strong will to help creatures, were charming. Not to mention how interesting his powers over time were.

Seeing him so weak now though, hurt and magic draining from him, it worried him greatly. He didn't know what to expect of Newt being an Obscurial now. He wasn't in control of the Obscurus just yet, changing into the form in his sleep, changing back to himself again as well. He would have a significant drain in magic, and Grindelwald wasn't sure how much magic Newt used in his day to day life. He wasn't sure how much magic Newt even had, and how much he would lose.  
He wasn't sure about Newt's creatures either. He was aware which creatures Newt had had in his case when he had been in New York, though he might have gotten new ones and old ones might have left. How would they react to him being an Obscurial? Newt did have an Obscurus inside of his case, and his creatures had been fine with them, so they should probably be alright with him being an Obscurial as well.

Grindelwald sighed, turning Newt's hand and leaning his forehead into Newt's palm. He was worried for the magizoologist, and he wasn't sure why. He had no reason to care for Newt, other than that he was a potentially asset for his cause. He cared for Newt, he wanted him to be okay, and he wasn't too sure why. He wasn't going to deny his own feelings, he knew he cared for Newt and that he didn't want him hurt. He couldn't deny it. He just wasn't sure _why_ he was attracted to Newt. He was pretty, yes, had his own charm. His messy curls, the rare smiles, the little nervous ticks he had. His passion about creatures, how, even though he knew Grindelwald was “bad” and “dangerous” he still told him and showed him the time space.  
Newt was a mystery, contradicting himself with his wants and beliefs, and his actions. He had worked so hard against Grindelwald, but now here he was, in Nurmengard, having followed him here on his own behalf.

Grindelwald wondered if Newt had only been able to go through the blue flames, because he genuinely didn't want _anyone_ to get hurt. Even Grindelwald. He might not be loyal to him and his cause, but he didn't want to hurt Grindelwald, and he didn't want him to get hurt either. It was confusing Grindelwald, and he didn't like it. He wanted Newt to care about him as a person, an individual, but _why?_  
He supposed some feelings just couldn't be explained. Who could explain why you liked someone, cared for someone? Newt was interesting, a strong individual, and maybe that was all it took for Grindelwald to want him as his.

It was a whole day later before Newt woke up again. Grindelwald was there with him, now that he knew Newt would surely wake soon again, he didn't want to leave his side unless he had to. He left once, when Rosier had come back from Germany and they had to discuss what they'd do next -lay low, let their hurt followers rest, _wait for Newt to wake up so Grindelwald could concentrate again_ \- and then he was back at Newt's side, sitting there and holding his hand, gently caressing it.

Newt groaned when he woke up, and Grindelwald looked up to him, holding his hand gently in his hands. Brown-ish eyes blinked open slowly, unfocused for a few moments, before they focused on Grindelwald. He smiled lightly at Newt, glad to see him awake again. A weird feeling, sitting here and waiting for someone to wake up, and then seeing them awaken. A happiness, relief, that Grindelwald wasn't used to.  
“How are you feeling?”, Grindelwald asked Newt, voice soft, and he conjured a glass and filled it with water. He helped Newt sit up again, before giving him the glass.  
“Not great.”, Newt mumbled, his gaze shifting to their hands. He didn't make a move to pull his hand out of Grindelwald's, which he counted as a good sign.  
“Just keep resting, dearest Newton.”, Grindelwald spoke softly, gently caressing Newt's hand again. He could imagine Newt didn't feel too well, but it was good to see he was awake and able to talk. He would need a lot of rest, though.

“What about my creatures? Are they- where are they? Who's feeding them?”, Newt voiced his worries, looking slightly panicked. He tried pushing himself away from the pillows he leaned against, wanting to stand up, find his suitcase, his creatures.  
“They're alright, calm yourself.”, Grindelwald stood up and gently pushed Newt back into the pillows, making him lean back again. “Your friend's, Credence and Queenie, are taking care of them. The case is with Credence, and he doesn't leave it out of his sight.”.  
Newt relaxed slightly hearing that, nodding. “How is Credence?”, he asked, worry still visible on his features. Grindelwald didn't like seeing him like that, and it reminded him of New York, where Newt had told the ministers about the Obscurus and Obscurial. How desperate he had been for his creatures not to be hurt, the pain in his voice.

“Credence is doing quite well. He still carries magic within him, though it's small. We hope it will grow again, but he is alive and well with or without it.”, Grindelwald answered, gently playing with his fingers, caressing them, trying to take Newt's mind off of things and calm him down further.  
Newt did seem to finally let himself relax, nodding. Credence was alright, and his creatures were as well. There was nothing more Newt seemed to worry about that stressed him as much at the very least, which was good.  
“Shall I get Credence and Queenie for you?”, Grindelwald asked then. He didn't want to leave Newt's side, but he'd do anything to make sure Newt could rest peacefully, and calm his frazzled nerves.  
“That'd... that'd be nice.”, Newt replied softly and smiled lightly. He seemed as unused to Grindelwald's kindness as Grindelwald was with his feelings. He nodded, though, and stood up. He was hesitant to let go of Newt's hand, though he did have to. He couldn't tell what Newt thought of the contact -and the loss of the contact- though didn't ask either. Instead, he left the room, so he could gather Queenie and Credence to come see Newt. He was sure both of them would be quite happy to see him again, awake and relatively well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for a short chapter, and one that isn't that good again.
> 
> I might not update for a longer time again, because writing is getting harder again, and I don't know what to write, where to go with this, I don't have a clue for an ending either. I'll be gathering some maybe ideas I could maybe use, but no promises.  
> I really don't want to abandon this work, I love it dearly, but it's hard.
> 
> If you have any ideas or things you'd like to see, feel free to tell me!


End file.
